


The Rise of Lady Chaos

by jazzykatz



Series: Those Crazier South Park Days [2]
Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Gen, Sexual Humor, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-02 15:11:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16307540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jazzykatz/pseuds/jazzykatz
Summary: One would think that creating the next wave of futuristic weaponry for the good of mankind wouldn't tear you apart from the inside, but Alice Horowitz soon realizes that the phrase 'for the good of mankind' comes with personal sacrifices.This is how a good girl with hopeful intentions turns into a supervillain who's anything but good.





	1. Best Friends Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 11/6: While it began as a PWP, I highly enjoy this story and everything about it, so this sex bit at the end is a one-time thing, have fun.

She was just a sophomore in college, but already she had been making a name for herself. A child prodigy that began inventing when she was just six, and now at nineteen years old, her name was on the front page of magazines like TIME and Modern Science. Everyone knew the name Alice Horowitz, the creator of the newly patented Genetic Information Technology; weapons that could only be used by the person who owned them, a controversial concept that would revolutionize the weapon industry.

 

It made her a target, of course. While she was prepared to deal with the onslaught of attention, she wasn’t prepared to deal with the negative aspect, how she was now a target for the mafia and other crime syndicates who didn’t agree with her idea about genetically tied weaponry. While she was very popular with law enforcement and the FBI, she was also wildly unpopular with criminals all around.

 

Who knew you could actually be assigned a superhero to shadow you? The police found it easier to keep track by lending one of their trusted and loyal superheroes instead of giving her a fleet of secret agents, mostly because she told the chief of police that she didn’t want that type of security that was better fit for ex-presidents and royals. She still wanted to live normally, as normal as she could get being a super genius with a bounty on her head.

 

Alice never got to actually meet her superhero, but she knew he was there. The trick of it was, someone she knew in her daily life was going to be that mysterious masked caped crusader but for anonymity and safety’s sake, she wasn’t allowed to know what mundane human being was actually her protector in disguise. The variables in the experiment perked her interest, as it could be a young man that had gotten partnered with in her Chemistry class, or one of those handsome frat dudes that she struck up a conversation with at a nearby party.

 

Eventually, Alice did run into her mysterious masked caped crusader at one point, except that, she didn’t actually run into him, but instead she was actually testing out her safety net. Curiosity got to her, really, and she knew she couldn’t actually die from taking a dive from that height anyway, she had tested the theory out many times in the past. Instead of breaking her leg, she ended up having her fall broken by another body. He looked upset at how Alice was grinning at him for saving her, knowing that it wasn’t really needed but he fell for the trick anyway. He dropped her flat on her ass after that, proceeding to lecture Alice on how not to fucking scare him like that.

 

“That’s not how you take care of a damsel in distress.” Alice couldn’t stop grinning, and the masked man just glared at her.

 

“You did that on purpose and you know it! All to blow my cover.” His gravely voice was irritated, but it made her grin even further.

 

“I wasn’t just going to let this go by untested,” She reasoned, “For all you know I could have been in danger.”

 

He stared at her incredulously, “First of all, no one willingly jumps into danger just to test out their protection! Don’t even go there with me, Alice. I was assigned to keep you safe, not to be your buddy. Don’t you remember the boy who called wolf? Do you really want to play that game?”

 

Alice couldn’t help but laugh at the analogy, putting the lecture he was giving her in the back of her mind while she stepped closer to him, flicking the green question mark on his head. “What do I call you, Mystery Boy?”

 

He looked offended, “Mysterion.” He corrected, flatly.

 

Alice rolled the name on her tongue, thinking it over. It sounded cheesy, but then superheroes were always cheesy. “I really don’t like being left out on the fun, Mysterion. If you had a file on me, then you should have expected this outcome.” She winked playfully.

 

Mysterion still didn’t look amused, “Hasn’t anyone told you that curiosity killed the cat?”

 

“A cat has nine lives, Mysterion.” Alice teased him, “Unless they decide to implement God Mode, that is.”

 

Mysterion left after that, returning to the shadows to be her hidden protector, even though Alice knew that all it took was a crazy stunt to get him back out in the open.

 

She decided to do some research of her own the next morning, because it was obvious that he had done research on her. So why not make it even between the two of them? She used her hacking abilities to get everything she could on Mysterion, going so far as to play inside the SPPD police database. Alice only grinned at his rap sheet, everything he had done with the Freedom Pals, and how mostly all of them were still active.

 

Her phone went off suddenly, actually startling her from her intense cram session. She quickly answered, bringing it up to her ear, “Sup?”

 

_“Gee, Alice, it’s past ten.”_

 

Alice smiled at the voice, giggling. She knew that voice anywhere, her favorite Chemistry partner and study buddy. “It is? Oh, tell the others I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She got up as she talked, searching for a pair of clean jeans.

 

 _“Were you doin’ somethin’ naughty, Alice?”_ He sounded so innocent saying that, and she could practically see him frowning from her end of the call.

 

“I got too carried away watching some BBC creampie porn, sorry Buttercup.” She grinned when he began to sputter at her words, giggling again.

 

 _“Are ya teasin’ me again Alice?”_ He whined then, _“You know I don’t like you doin’ that!”_

 

He sounded so sweet, but teasing him was the best part of her day. Alice smiled, pulling on a good pair of jeans. “Yes, I’m teasing you, I’m actually into gang bangs nowadays, just full on raw DP.”

 

He sputtered again, and this time she swore he dropped his phone, because it sounded like he was struggling with it and whimpering cutely. _“Not funny.”_ He chided, _“Boy howdy, what if your calls are bein’ bugged, Al?”_ He asked hotly, _“A villain could be hearin’ all this dirty stuff!”_

 

“Then I hope he has a good collection for his spank bank.” Alice found a top that wasn’t wrinkled to all hell, putting the boy on speaker phone. She was going to have to do some laundry soon. “I’m not all that worried, Butters, I’m very elusive for a super genius.”

 

 _“Well, alright.”_ The boy’s voice sounded relieved, _“Just get over to the library quick, I can’t stay out here for too long talkin’ to ya.”_

 

“I’ll jet right over there, kid.” She said reassuringly, pulling on the shirt and finally slipping on the first pair of shoes she could find. He must have hung up, because her phone was dead quiet now. She let out a giggle at her own devious thoughts before grabbing her phone and her backpack, quickly darting out of her dorm room.

 

She was safe as she could be in this town, as she researched the hell out of every place long before she came out to the public with her inventions. South Park used to be a no-name dinky town in the middle of nowhere in Colorado until the higher ups decided to bulldoze the Super Walmart after some horrible accidental deaths. Instead of rebuilding, someone got a bright idea to establish a college to bring in more people. Apparently it worked like a charm, and suddenly the small town was not so small anymore, and it was ever growing year by year. It was also a hotbed for the craziest shit ever imaginable, which was the biggest reason Alice decided on attending high school, and later college, there. Who doesn’t like crazy shit? Alice knew she loved it, despite how cold it was compared to her former home in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

A couple of coats and scarves made up for it.

 

A couple of coats and scarves is something she forgot to bring with her on the trek between her dorm and the library. Alice knew Mysterion was watching over her like a mother hen, wanting to lecture her about her clothing decision for the morning, but she managed to flip him off before he could. Well, she actually flipped off the air in no particular direction, but she was sure he saw it.

 

Alice burst through the door to the library clutching her long-sleeved shirt with chilly fingers, ignoring the dirty look from the head librarian as she made her way upstairs. Butters, oh heavenly Butters, with his insulated cyan jacket and his hello kitty mittens, was standing there to greet her. Alice pulled on a hopeful smile and slipped her hands into his coat, making the boy jump.

 

“Where’s your coat young lady!” He tried his best to keep his voice down, hearing their classmates snicker in the background.

 

“I was in a hurry.” Alice tried, finding the boy’s back pockets and slipping her hands in them. “Your butt is warm.” She smiled.

 

“Alice!” He whined, “Not in public!” He tried.

 

“Do I need to call campus police?” A redhead from their table questioned.

 

“I’m freezing to death here and you want to write me up on harassment.” Alice said indignantly, “Fine.” She removed her hands from Butters and stepped away, rubbing what little warmth that were on her hands together.

 

Butters frowned at that, deciding to unwrap the scarf from his neck and hook it around hers. “Well, let’s start studyin’.” He smiled then.

 

“If we get out early I’ll buy you a coffee.” The redhead said to Alice, looking at her with a small amount of irritation, “Since you kept us waiting for a half-hour.”

 

“Kyle,” Alice breathed, sitting down at the table, “Did you ever hear of double penetration cumshots?” She questioned seriously.

 

He slapped his hand over his ears, “Jesus Christ, Alice, I’m not Butters and that won’t work!”

 

Alice grinned then, because it did work, because Kyle just screamed at her in the library. Kyle realized his mistake and gave her a dirty look for it, making Wendy and Stan snicker behind their hands.

 

Butters managed a smile and a laugh, sitting next to Alice.

 

* * *

 

The possibility of Kyle being Mysterion was high on the list, as Kyle didn’t like her brand of humor, at all, and acted like a doting mother. She weighed the options in her head after their study session, while they were in line at Tweek Bros waiting for coffee.

 

She still wanted to know who it was behind that mask, and she knew it couldn’t be Butters. Butters was too sweet and soft to be so hard and edgy. Kyle was a possibility, with three gold stars in his favor, while Stan and Wendy weren’t even near the ranking. Stan found her porn jokes funny, and Wendy was…well, Mysterion didn’t have boobs, for one thing, and Wendy was stacked.

 

The only question was how Kyle could manage to hide all that jew fro into the hood, because some of that would definitely start to peek out at some point. Maybe he kept it controlled with a hundred hairpins and elastics, but hairspray was a possibility. Maintaining that would be a bitch, though.

 

She played footsie with Butters, which the small blonde actually enjoyed. She wanted to take Butters home and put a cat collar on him, because he was fucking adorable. One with a bell, a tiny bell to ring every time he was near.

 

“It’s jam packed today.” Wendy pointed out, watching the speed that Tweek was working at the counter. “I heard they employed another barista because it’s getting so popular.”

 

“Damn college kids and their damn coffee. Fucking hipsters.” Alice grinned, gesturing to an actual fucking hipster in the corner.

 

“Don’t pick on the patrons.” Kyle lectured.

 

“Yes, mom.” She responded with an eye roll.

 

“Well, gee.” Butters rubbed his knuckles together, “Aren’t you worried about safety, Alice? Too many people mean someone could easily—“

 

“Butters,” Wendy shushed him, “Not here.”

 

“Well,” Stan scratched his head, “He does have a point. I mean, we’re in the company of a celebrity here.”

 

Alice snorted, “Christ, Stan, I’m not a celebrity, I’m a fucking college student.”

 

“Your face is plastered all over the papers.” Kyle said flatly, “You’re the Tony Stark of South Park, admit it.”

 

Alice chuckled, “Do you want to be my Pepper Potts, Kyle?” She asked sweetly.

 

Butters pouted at that, “I thought I was Pepper!”

 

She reached over to pat his head, “You are, hun. Now be a good secretary and get me another mocha.”

 

Kyle rolled his eyes as Butters actually got up to go get it. “I’m hesitant to be seen with you anymore.” He admitted.

 

“That’s actually insulting.” Alice frowned, “I’m perfectly fine, I have protection.”

 

“But what about those that associate with you?” Kyle questioned. “Where’s our protection? I mean we could easily become victims of Professor Chaos and his Minions if he ever decided to set his sights on you.”

 

“Like Professor Chaos would ever go after Alice!” Wendy reasoned, “It’s the Japanese Mafia that I’m worried about.”

 

Alice shot her glare at Wendy, “What?”

 

“Your GIT-designs are cause for concern, Alice.” She said honestly, “Criminal activity will be cut significantly if your technology goes mainstream, and that puts a giant target on your back.”

 

Stan glanced at Wendy, “She kinda has a point, Al. We really can’t be seen with you anymore, for our own safety.”

 

Alice’s eyes widened, “What the fuck is this, a breaking up party? I thought we were friends!” She cried out.

 

“We’ve actually been talking about this for a couple of weeks after the death threat, Alice.” Kyle said honestly, “I’m sure it’s fun for you, being this super genius that might change the world, but I don’t want to wake up someday and have to deal with the politics of what your inventions will eventually do.”

 

Wendy nodded, frowning, “We’re sorry, Alice.”

 

“Did I miss anythin’?” Butters finally returned with Alice’s cup, smiling brightly.

 

“I’m being dropped like a hot potato, Buttercup.” Alice glared at the other three, looking desperately at Butters, “Please tell me you’re not breaking up with me too!”

 

“Oh, geeze…” Butters finally looked at the others, “I told you that you were gonna hurt her feelings, guys.”

 

Kyle pursed his lips, looking over at Wendy but staying firm on his decision.

 

Alice couldn’t believe this was happening, feeling tears pricking the corners of her eyes, “I try to do good for humanity and I get thrown to the curb.” She said mostly to herself, looking back at Butters sadly, “So what, is this your goodbye too?” She gestured to the cup of coffee he gotten her.

 

Butters sat back down, breathing in. “N-not really, Al. Unlike some people,” He looked over at Kyle and Wendy and Stan, “I really don’t like choosin’ between my friends. I ain’t gonna abandon you like other people will.” He said it with an edge of bitterness towards the other three, narrowing his eyes slightly.

 

If anything, that’s what made Alice start to cry. She pulled him forward and clung to him, burying her head in his shoulder.

 

Kyle just felt bad now, but he was determined not to let it sway him. He got up, gesturing for Wendy to follow him. Stan was the last to leave, feeling extra guilty. “Sorry, dude.” He said quietly, chasing after Wendy.

 

Butters ignored them, whispering calming words into Alice’s ear as he hugged her.

 

So much for Kyle being Mysterion.

* * *

 

 

Butters was the most considerate boy she’s ever befriended, offering to drive her back home. It was amazing how much a simple cafe mocha could calm her nerves, with an extra helping of supportive hugs from her blond friend. Alice smiled at him from the passenger’s seat, knowing immediately that something was up as he turned a different corner from the college. Instead of going there, he went farther out of town to a well known lookout spot, somewhere that was a private place to coo-noodle, or that’s what Butters had told her.

 

They were the only ones up here, and Alice pulled on a grin. “Buttercup, are you trying to get to third base with me?” She teased, unable to help it.

 

Butters actually laughed, “I actually thought you’d like to talk about it.” He said softly, “You never said anythin’ about what happened and I know how it works, Al. If you hold it all in, then it’s gonna come out all ugly.” He leaned forward to pop open his glove box, pulling out a half-empty bottle of peppermint schnapps.

 

Alice gasped, reaching over to touch it, “Buttercup, offering alcohol to a minor!” She grinned then, “You’re full of surprises.”

 

Butters seemed to blush at that, “I ain’t no innocent kitten, Alice. I’m in college too, yanno.” He tried to smile, gesturing to the bottle. “Go ahead, I’m drivin’.”

 

Alice brought the bottle closer to herself, unscrewing it and putting the opening to her lips. It was a warm embrace, sweet like he was. She licked her lips after swallowing a bit of it, sighing.“I’m not gonna fall for it.” She said then, smirking. “This is a trap to get me to talk about my feelings.”

 

Butters unbuckled his seat to shift towards her, “Alice, it ain’t healthy to keep it bottled up!” He insisted, frowning. “Your friends just dumped you, aren’t ya angry?”

 

“It doesn’t matter if I’m angry, Buttercup…” She croaked out, taking another sip and turning away. “They don’t feel safe around me, it’s a logical explanation. I can’t really find fault for them doing that!”

 

Butters nodded, “It still ain’t right, Al.” He said softly, “Real friends would stick by you no matter what.” He reasoned.

 

She took a bigger sip of the alcohol then, “Well, I guess I know who’s really real, then.” She said bitterly, tearing up again. “I…I just want to do good in the world.” She whispered.

 

He nodded quietly, laying a consoling hand on her thigh. “I’m sorry you had to go through this, I really am. They tried to talk me out of stayin’ with ya, too.”

 

Alice watched him, the tears falling from her face, “T..they…?” The revelation had her taking another drink, a full mouthful this time. The warmth was consoling, and she loved how sweet it was. It relaxed her even more and kept her from feeling worse, which was a plus. “That’s…” She failed to respond to what he said, unable to word how awful it was.

 

Butters squeezed her thigh gently, sighing, “I don’t know Alice, it was really rotten for them to do that. I don’t really like them that much for deciding to do it in a public place.” He spat the last part out bitterly, looking bothered.

 

She sighed, “I…really don’t like them for springing it up on me.” She said softly, “I mean, I’d rather you ghost me and cut off all connection, just end it all quick, yanno? I don’t want to just sit there and force myself to listen to all the reasons why you want to leave me!” She wiped the tears from her face after that.

 

“I wouldn’t do any of that, Al.” Butters reassured her, smiling slightly. “You’re a wonderful, beautiful girl, nothin’ would keep me away from you.”

 

Alice giggled at that, smiling. She was pleasantly drunk now, his words like honey in her ear. “You’re my favorite, Buttercup.” She said quietly, like it was a secret. “I want to take you home and see just how innocent you are sometimes, yanno?” She caught herself after that, giggling again, “Pretend you didn’t hear that, you’ll probably lecture me.”

 

The hand on her thigh rose slightly higher, kneading the flesh below his palm. “I told ya, Al. I’m not innocent…” He whispered, “The most fun thing is letting you talk about porn, do ya really like those things, Al?”

 

She grinned at that, “I’m a human being, Butters, of course I like those things.” Her eyes widened slightly, a thought entering her head and making her giggle again. “Yanno I always wanted to do that, too, just try anything. I thought about being a porn star once.” She laughed now.

 

Butters joined her on the laugh, shaking his head. “I can’t see that, Al. You’re too smart, an’ I wouldn’t dream of sharing you with anyone else.” His honey voice was even sweeter now. “Do ya…wanna go back to your place, or mine?” He asked then, leaning in to kiss her gently on the cheek.

 

Alice leaned into the kiss, smiling. “Ah, how about yours, I have a superhero spying on me.” She winked conspiringly, “Mysterion, he likes to complain.”

 

Butters nodded at that, sitting forward and buckling himself in again. “That’s good to know, Alice.” He said thoughtfully, pulling out from the hill and making his way back into town.

 

Alice wasn’t patient about it, gradually leaning over to kiss under Butters’ ear, her free hand boldly reaching forward to graze at the crotch of his jeans. Butters gasped at that, swallowing a moan before it could escape and doing his best to concentrate on the road. “Be patient…” He said it mostly to himself than to her, enduring her teasing lips as she giggled against him.

 

The way she made the sound of appraisal in the back of her throat had him groaning again, because now she could feel his erection and her hand was exploring the prominent bulge in his pants. He continued to focus, wishing that he could just pull over and take her there, but in the middle of town was the worst place to do such a thing and he wanted to make this last.

 

He came to a stop near an apartment complex across town from the college, tearing himself away from Alice just enough to leave the vehicle. She already looked determined, grinning at him deviously as she exited her end to follow him into the building. She was magnetic, leaning into him as soon as he took her hand and pushing him against the entrance door so she could attack his neck with her mouth. Butters sighed at the contact, but he couldn’t give in just yet. All he needed to do was return the gesture, but if he did that then they’d never get anywhere. He chuckled breathlessly and eased her back, his hand releasing hers so he could hook it around her waist.

 

“Be patient…” He said in her ear, smiling when she pouted at him. His words made her hesitant, but she finally held herself back long enough for him to lead her through the doors and into the elevator. The tension inside the lift was the worst, and Butters continued to whisper in her ear, honey sweet words that made her whimper and gasp. The hand around her waist fell down to her ass and promptly squeezed the left side of her cheek, making her jump in place before he lead her back out of the elevator and down the hall.

 

He managed to get the key in without being held hostage by her mouth, easing themselves into the dark room and shutting the door. It was a silent agreement to move forward, and Alice took it, pushing him against the door again and moving to continue sucking on the part of his neck that he kept her from finishing, her hands slipping down below his waistband to graze her fingers along his erection. He shuddered at the touch, as it was almost electrifying with her skin against his. He worked on unbuttoning his pants, a silent plea for her to go further.

 

“Oh Alice,” He breathed, “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” He warned her playfully, moving to kiss her deeply, “You have no idea what I’ve been dreaming about.” He continued, placing hot kisses on her neck now. He managed to turn them around, pressing her against the door so he could place tender kisses along her collarbone, his hands slipping under her pants to tease her between her legs.

 

Butters smiled, pulling off his pants to leave them at the door and moving to pull hers off. He stood back up to take her lips again, kissing her gently this time. “I want all of you.” He whispered.

 

Alice was getting flushed, staring at Butters in an entirely different light, “I…would like that.” She said honestly, moving to kiss him again. After today, the offer of companionship was something she really desired, and the fact that it was Butters made it something extra special.

 

Butters lead her back to his room, moving to pull her shirt off as soon as they were past the threshold. She did the same with his coat, amused that he was still wearing that coat, working on his shirt afterward before pressing herself against him for another kiss. Butters cradled her head against his own, coaxing her lips open so their tongues could explore, making the kiss slow and needy as he brushed his arousal against her thigh. He was already hard again, chuckling when she moaned into his mouth.

 

Butters broke free for a moment, “Do…we need protection?” He asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

 

Alice giggled slightly, “I have an IUD implant, if you’re clean?” She questioned.

 

He grinned at that, “What about you?”

 

“Inventing doesn’t give me time to fool around, Buttercup.” She said playfully, smirking. “All that porn I tell you about, that’s my free time.”

 

“You naughty girl.” He breathed, kissing her again. She pressed back against the kiss, sighing when he dipped his fingers between her legs again. He began to slide two into her, curling and flexing his fingers inside of her and drinking in her pleasing moans to his ministrations. He smirked, adding a third finger to the mix and slowly thrusting into her, “Do you like that?” He asked.

 

Alice sighed, “I’d love to feel your dick in there, honestly.” She breathed, “But then you don’t know about my collection of sex toys…” She managed a laugh at his reaction.

 

“You won’t really need those anymore,” He said softly, easing his fingers out and pressing himself against her. Pressing into her was like pressing into hot velvet, and he groaned, feeling how tight she was around him and equally wet, moving himself inside of her was smooth. He pressed as far as he could go, burying his entire cock inside of her and drinking up the whimpers she was giving him. He leaned down to press kisses to her skin, enjoying the feeling of his cock inside of her before beginning to move.

 

He was slow, at first, thrusting into her at a snails pace and finding a rhythm he could work on. When she began to beg for more he complied, easing his thrusts faster and fuller. It was better than he ever imagined, having her under him begging for more. He was happy to give her more and make sure she wouldn’t ever think of anything other than him.

 

Alice had a feeling that Butters was right, the harder he fucked her the more she realized that she wouldn’t even touch her sex toys again, how his cock fit inside her the right way and filled her up so easily. She didn’t know if she could ever feel this way with anyone else, because holy fuck he was so hot this way. Her little Buttercup was a minx in disguise, with a baby face and a silver tongue that made her wet just by whispering dirty things into her ear. She wondered if it was possible to have a fetish for a single person, because he was proving to be the biggest fetish in her mind.

 

Butters was dangerously close, his thrusting was harder now, as hard as he could get without hurting her. He knew she was close from the way she was pleading to him to go even harder. Her hips were bucking against his in erratic movements, and he could feel her walls contract as she screamed, his name falling from her lips like a prayer, enough to send him over the edge because she wasn’t just screaming out Butters, she screamed out Leopold. He couldn’t stop his own climax, breathing out her name as he pumped his own come deep into her. Alice whimpered when he did, her eyes wide as he drained himself inside of her. 

 

She pulled him forward for a passionate kiss after that, lazily licking along his lips and moving with him as he shifted to lie next to her. They continued to kiss each other slowly long after, until exhaustion overtook them and they ended up sleeping in each other's arms.


	2. Genetic Information Technology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 11/6 took out the morning sex.

Waking up after a night of great sex wasn’t something Alice was used to, but she always imagined what it would feel like. She actually liked it, as she was in a warm and comfy bed in the arms of an equally warm and comfy lover. She squirmed, wiggling until she woke her lover, the boy stretching out as he yawned and wrapped his arms around her.

 

"Mornin'." He greeted warmly. “Are ya hungry? I can make pancakes or waffles.”

 

She propped herself up on her elbows, “Waffles, oh Buttercup, don’t do this to me.” She teased, “If you cook for me then I might never leave.”

 

He smiled at that, “Waffles it is.” He said cheerfully, climbing out of the bed. “Let’s clean up first, I don’t wanna cook bein’ all dirty.”

 

It was an experience, taking a shower with another person. Alice hadn’t done it, and they both managed to keep their danger zones to themselves during the entire thing. Intimate touches were shared, but nothing beyond that. It was another level of intimacy shared with a person that she never thought she’d have.

 

Alice managed to find her underwear and jeans, but her top was missing. She stole one of Butters’ sweaters instead, feeling immediately like a girlfriend wearing her boyfriend’s clothes and actually giggling about it.

 

If she couldn’t fall any more in love with the blonde, his waffles had her proposing to him after the first bite. The blonde only laughed when she did, eagerly accepting. Alice never thought about how it wasn’t that awkward to talk about an imaginary wedding with Butters while they ate breakfast. It actually felt endearing.

 

She really didn’t want to leave, but real life wasn’t something they could put on pause. Butters told her he had to get ready for his internship and offered to drive her back to the college. Alice only agreed if he would walk her to her dorm and finish the day with a kiss. He looked happy to do that, resuming his cute persona as soon as they were out of the car.

 

“Well, I really liked what happened, Alice.” Butters admitted bashfully, “Do ya mind if we…do it again?” He asked quietly.

 

Alice gave him a playful grin, “I think I’d like that, actually. Let’s go out sometime.”

 

His eyes brightened at that, “Oh, a date! Golly, I’m free on Saturday, if you are.”

 

She thought about it, knowing she had something to do on Saturday but the project could wait, “I’m free on Saturday, no problem.”

 

“That sounds great, I’ll shoot you a text when I get off of work!” He leaned in to kiss her quickly before darting back to his car.

 

Alice could actually see the way he skipped to his car, giggling at how happy he was and staying at the door to watch him drive off. She proceeded to step into the dormitory, thinking about what other classes she had today as she ran upstairs to her room.

 

“Where the hell were you?”

 

Alice jumped, fumbling for the light switch as she shut the door and glaring over at the masked superhero perched on her bed. “Did anyone tell you about breaking and entering?” She questioned.

 

“This isn’t about me, Alice. It’s about you and where you disappeared to last night!” He sounded angry, of course, that she had eluded his careful watch for at least twelve hours. She felt a sense of satisfaction at that, smiling.

 

“Were you worried?” She put on a honeyed voice for him, amused. “I didn’t know you cared, Mysterion.”

 

He glared at her, catching her snark. “I assumed you were kidnapped or worse, I was about to call the police!” He hissed out, “If I didn’t see you downstairs with that boy, this whole place would have been swarmed!” Now he just sounded like an overprotective parent.

 

“What can I say?” She eventually shrugged, smiling at him. “I kinda got lucky last night…and this morning.”

 

Realization dawned on his face and he stared at her incredulously, shaking off the initial shock and frowning, “I need to know the details, who this kid is and where he lives.”

 

It was her turn to stare at him, “Dude, I’m not a child. I don’t need permission to have sex!”

 

“You’re under heavy security, Alice! It means that anyone out there can be a threat, anyone! I’m not going to let you hook up with a random guy so I can find you dead in a pool of blood the next morning!” He cried out.

 

“Butters isn’t a random guy! He’s in my Chemistry class and he’s a fucking decent human being!” Alice glared at him, “Believe it or not, Mysterion, I’m smarter than you think I am. I don’t just hook up with anyone, and I very well know the risks of what I’m doing!” Her mind flashed back to just how she ended up with Butters to begin with, cringing at the memory. “Especially when three of my friends fucking dump me in public because they don’t want to be seen with me!”

 

His expression softened from the explanation and suddenly he looked hesitant. “Shit.” His voice seemed to falter before he backtracked, “I’m sorry.” He sighed out, unable to think of anything else to say.

 

“Thank you.” Alice sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “You know, it would actually work better if you just told me who you were, or like, hung out with me outside of the costume and shit. You wouldn’t have such a hard time with me if you kept yourself in the shadows.”

 

“It doesn’t work that way, Alice.” He said then, “Superheroes rely heavily on anonymity. If I told you who I was, it’s breaking all sorts of rules. Then there’s the fact that I can’t risk you knowing me outside of the mask. I’m assigned to keep you safe, not be your pal.”

 

She smiled sadly, “That says a lot when even a masked vigilante won’t even be my friend…”

 

He winced at that, “That’s not what I meant, Alice,”

 

“I know.” She spoke up, stopping him, “I understand. It’s a logical explanation just like the others had. I can’t really afford to be angry at that.” She said dismissively, turning around to open the door. “Just, go back to the shadows, I’m going to chill out in my workshop.” She left after that, shutting the door.

 

Mysterion couldn’t help but notice how broken she sounded before she left.

* * *

 

 

Alice’s workshop was provided by the college, inside the Science building on the basement floor. To get there one needed security clearance and a retina scan, because not just everyone could get into the basement workshop. She spent most of her nights in the workshop, which was any time between her classes. The grant she had gotten from the government allowed her to work as much as she needed in a rent free area that became her laboratory and her testing site.

 

She proceeded to drown out her thoughts with loud techno music and immersing herself into one of her projects, starting up the soldering iron and working on fusing wires to boards. The blueprints to her boards were projected on a larger screen. She could easily invest twelve hours focusing on her projects, because it was better than the alternative.

 

Drowning into self-pity over the loss of three more friends.

 

It only began after she went public with her inventions. She used to be popular, she once was the life of the party. When she began to get famous, the first of her friends who dropped her were the jealous ones. They couldn’t stand that Alice was intelligent, they thought she overshadowed them when honestly, she wasn’t trying to. The next ones to go were the ones who were insecure in their own abilities, always comparing themselves to her and growing bitter with resentment over the fact they weren’t getting noticed. It seemed that little by little over the year, her friends dropped off because they started to loathe her or they thought they could use her to their advantage. She willingly cut those people off, the ones who wanted to use her as a stepping stone in their carriers. She wasn’t fond with liars, either, those were the people she hated the most.

 

Kyle, Stan and Wendy were the final three left, but their reasonings behind leaving her was the one that made most sense. She was a target, easily. Anyone would use her friends to get to her, because she had that kind of heart. She couldn’t blame them, no matter what Butters had told her.

 

How they had done it was still a douche move, however.

 

But Butters, cute and crafty Butters. He wasn’t afraid of anything, he wasn’t jealous of her, he wasn’t bitter because of her. He insisted on being at her side despite everything. Her only friend left, it seemed. Thinking of him made her smile, but there was a twinge of guilt, wondering if he should really be at her side. The last person she wanted to get hurt was him, and she didn’t want him to get hurt because of her.

 

Alice almost fell off her stool when someone tapped her shoulder, “Shit!” She whirled around and held the soldering iron in front of herself like a weapon.

 

The ginger boy held his hands up in surrender, obviously frightened. “Uh…”

 

She peered down at the shorter boy, taking in the lab coat and the accompanying photo ID. “Who’re you?” She asked.

 

“Dougie O'Connell.” He supplied nervously, “You wanted a second-in-command, I was chosen from the list.” He held out his hand, urging a smile.

 

Alice visibly relaxed, remembering the hoops she had to go through for getting some extra help in the workshop. She shook his hand, smiling. “Good to meet you, Dougie. So, what’s your major?”

 

He didn’t seem nervous anymore now that he was greeted without hostility, “Well, my major is in Biochemical Engineering but my minor is Mathematics, I know your work isn’t anywhere near what I’m studying, but I was told you didn’t want someone fluent in Electrical Engineering.”

 

Alice grinned at that, “Whoa, and I thought I was smart. No, I didn’t want someone with similar experience as me, it makes it easier to pass ideas onto each other, yanno, gives me a different perspective on my own projects when looked at from an outsider’s point of view.”

 

“I have to say that your ideas for Genetic Information Technology is really interesting, mostly that’s why I hoped to get chosen from the roster.”

 

“Well, congratulations!” Alice spread out her arms, laughing, “All this you see here is what you’re going to help me with. I just need to run you by some things, I hope it won’t scare you off.” She winked playfully, “I mean, it was mostly me down here so I’m kinda used to some things in a certain way.”

 

“Feel free to run some rules by me, uh, Alice? Do you prefer I call you Miss Horowitz?”

 

“Alice is just fine.” She set down the soldering iron and took out a remote to turn down the music. “I listen to requests on music, but I won’t do country. That’s my first rule. Feel free to play with the volume.”

 

Dougie nodded, following her as she took him around the room.

 

“Now, very important, don’t feel pressured into agreeing with me. I really need someone to keep me thinking, not a personal yes man. Do give me input and don’t be afraid of calling me out on my own bullshit.” She opened a door to lead him into another room. “Also, I should warn you about some of my bad habits. Are you objective to hardcore porn by any chance?”

 

The question came out of left field and Dougie stumbled over himself, sputtering, “W-what?” His eyebrows disappeared into his hair, “Excuse me?”

 

She propped herself on a table, crossing her legs. “It helps me think, so I kinda go onto some porn sites to get myself inspired. It’s best not to ask why, it just does.” She giggled.

 

He really didn’t know what to say to that, “Um, well,” The boy cleared his throat nervously, “I…it’s fine?” He tried weakly.

 

Alice’s eyes brightened and she reached into a drawer on the table, pulling out a thick packet. “Good, now fill out this form and sign all the highlighted parts, I like to be safe, yanno, in this day of social justice and sexual harassment suits.”

 

Dougie stared at her alarmingly until he began to read the form, going over it carefully. “Oh.”

 

Alice hopped off the desk, “Feel free to take your time.” She said with a smile, leaving the smaller room. She returned to her board, looking up at the blueprint to see where she was before getting out another wire from her spool.

 

Halfway into humming out the song the radio’s frequency changed into something more poppy, and Alice glanced over to the radio as Dougie tuned it to something similar to bubblegum music.

 

Korean bubblegum music.

 

He fixed a smile in her direction, and she laughed before resuming her work.

* * *

 

 

Professor Chaos was on the front page of the newspaper. Dougie brought it in with him the next day along with two venti cups of coffee from Harbucks.

 

The story was about Professor Chaos’ attack downtown, something Alice never knew about as she spent the night in the workshop. She read the paper carefully, registering the superheroes that appeared to fight him. The Human Kite, Toolshed, Call Girl, and last of all, Mysterion.

 

“You honestly haven’t left the workshop?” Dougie asked her worriedly, frowning. He had left long before her the night before, remembering her saying that she was going to close up shop. He didn’t know that she meant that she was going to stay behind and pull an all-nighter.

 

“When I get in the zone, it’s worth the extra hours.” She said. “I’m used to losing a couple of hours every now and then.”

 

Dougie didn’t like that explanation, but he refused to press on it. “How far did you get?” He asked, handing her the coffee.

 

Alice didn’t answer until she took a sip of the coffee, her eyes widening at the sweet decadence. White chocolate mocha. “Who told you I liked this flavor?” She asked outright, looking at him as if he was a wizard.

 

Dougie gestured to the garbage can next to her computer, “Your order is written on every one of those Tweak Bros cups, I took note of it yesterday.”

 

She grinned, “Fast thinking, I like that.” She took another drink and got up from the cot, stepping over to one of her projects. “I was putting finishing touches on the Cybernetic Pulse Bomb.” She uncovered the project to expose a skeletal glove. “All I need to do is calibrate it and test it out in the field.”

 

Dougie looked closer at the glove, adjusting his glasses, “I remember this! This is the prototype that began your Genetic Information Technology! It creates pure energy, right?”

 

Alice nodded, “The energy inflicts damage to anything organic and knocks them back a fair distance. This is best used as a close combat weapon when you really have no other option. The farther the target, the less damage it induces.” She pulled on a smile, “I need to test it out to determine the radius of the bomb, but the energy output is supposed to be harmless to the one creating it.”

 

Dougie nodded, looking excited. “Something like this could definitely put Professor Chaos to shame. What else are you working on?” He asked.

 

Alice blushed slightly, enjoying the praise, “Well, the second item is nearly done, but it’s the easiest to work on.” She ushered him to another table, uncovering it to expose a long staff. “This is the first ever battle staff of its kind.” She tapped the staff’s exterior. “On its surface it’s solid titanium alloy shell protects the inner workings of the weapon.” She trailed her fingers towards three buttons. “This is where fingerprint technology comes in, because the staff will be useless to anyone but its owner. The middle button activates the staff, extending it to its full length.”

 

“How far does it go?” Dougie questioned, watching her.

 

“About eight feet.” She answered quickly, pressing the button and chuckling as he jumped, the staff opening up and extending at the touch of her finger.

 

“The top button activates its shield.” Alice smiled then, taking the staff into her hands. She stepped over to a clear area to spin the staff, a blue light shining through as it spun. “The shield will deflect anything a projectile weapon will throw at it, such as bullets from a gun.” She grinned then, “There’s a gun in the top drawer of my desk, Dougie, go get it.”

 

The ginger nodded, quickly running into the smaller room to retrieve the gun, opening it up and noting the full cartridge. He swallowed thickly, returning to her. “What now?” He asked.

 

“Fire it!” She called out. “Aim it right at me.”

 

He looked hesitant to do that, shaking. “I don’t know Alice—“

 

“Don’t be a pussy!” She shouted.

 

Dougie squeaked, aiming the gun towards the blue shield. He covered his eyes quickly before firing.

 

Alice laughed when the bullet was deflected.

 

Dougie uncovered his eyes, widening them slightly and glancing down at a bullet that reflected into the nearest wall. He gripped the gun harder and fired three more times, only to see them deflect and be knocked back. “Holy shit!” He cried.

 

Alice stopped her motions, breathing out a sigh. “Yeah, it’s built for defense, but I’m adding one more trick to it.” She walked back towards him, setting the staff back down on the table. “The third button will activate an anchor, which can and will penetrate any hard surface that it comes in contact with.”

 

Dougie sat the gun down and uneasily shoved it away, his hands twitching. “How is an anchor going to work?” He asked.

 

“Ever seen a pole dancer, Dougie?” She questioned simply.

 

He fell silent at that, quirking a brow. “Wh-at?”

 

Alice laughed, pulling out a remote and pressing a button. He jumped when the floor opened up and a stripper pole eased through towards an inconspicuous hole in the ceiling. Alice held up a finger and stripped herself from the lap coat. “Pole dancing requires exceptional physical talent, Dougie.” She spun herself on the pole, leaning sideways and flipping herself upside down. “You need to be flexible and have great muscle tone. It’s an exercise more than an erotic show.” She maneuvered her body along the pole, hooking her legs around the metal and arching backwards in mid air.

 

Dougie adjusted his glasses again, becoming flustered just by watching her, “Uhm, wha—“

 

She did another spin, kicking her legs out as she used gravity to loop her around the pole. “The anchor to the battle staff turns it into an acrobat’s dream.” She finally let go and dismounted, grinning. “Plus, if you activate it while fighting, it can become a surprisingly sharp weapon.” She winked playfully.

 

He nodded, blushing. “Wow, you, uhm, you can really move! Jesus Christ, Alice, you could be out there on the battlefield with everyone else!”

 

Alice giggled at that, “I’m an engineer, not a fighter.”

 

He drooped at that, nodding. “Well, it’s all for the best I guess. It gets really messy out there.”

 

She moved to cover the staff back up, “You sound like you know from experience.” Alice commented, looking back at him just in time to see him look away quickly. She frowned at that, “Dougie?”

 

The boy cleared his throat, “Let’s get to work, I think we’ve played around long enough.” He said then, moving back towards the computers.

 

Alice stepped towards him, “Dougie—“ She felt him flinch when she touched his shoulder, and he pulled away quickly.

 

“It’s nothing, Alice. Just—please don’t push.” He asked weakly.

 

She went quiet after that, nodding to herself and returning to her station.

 

* * *

 

 

Dougie didn’t expect the display when he came back down into the laboratory, opening the door and instantly seeing a projection of a porno. He fell into a static shock, his eyes widened at the sight of a girl bent over and taking it from behind, loud porno music blaring in the background and mixed with panting moans and lustful screams.

 

He instantly regretted signing up to work here.

 

“JESUS CHRIST!” He cried out, covering his eyesight quickly and trying to get further into the workshop without having to look at what was projected on the wall. There wasn’t a reply to his scream and he whined, uncovering his eyes just to look for Alice and finding her sitting up on the far table, watching the show and eating popcorn.

 

 _Popcorn_.

 

“I warned you, didn’t I?” Alice commented over the moans, though she wasn’t grinning, more focused on the film than taking a jab at her partner in crime.

 

Dougie groaned audibly and quickly took refuge into the smaller room, taking a calming breath and sitting down. All he had to do was wait it out, grimacing when the screams came to a climax and the male lead began grunting out, whispers of “Oh yeah,” repeated twice until the film ended. The music stopped after that, replaced with Industrial Rock music and the loud clicking of a keyboard. He glanced outside and noticed Alice gazing into the computer screen and typing faster than he’s seen her, stopping every now and then to take a note on her tablet. She looked focused and zoned into her work. He really wondered if that was really true, that a simple dirty porno could spark her inspiration.

 

He slipped on his lap coat, returning out into the workshop and moving to look at the screen. “What’s that?” He asked curiously.

 

“A headset.” She said distractedly, “I need something to scan the elements if I’m actually going to go out there and test out my tools on the battlefield. This is loosely based on that Google Glass contraption but my AI will be a little bit better than theirs.”

 

Dougie blinked, “You have an AI already? That kind of thing takes—“

 

“I’ve been building up my own programs since high school, all I need is something to harness its ability.” She smirked as she continued typing, “The AI isn’t something I’ve introduced into my own inventions, it’s more of a personal project of mine, but I will need it if I’m going to actually become Iron Man.”

 

The comment had him staring at her now, slightly bewildered, “Iron Man?”

 

Alice grinned, “I had a thought last night, Dougie. If I’m going to need great readings on my weapons then going out into the battle field is a great idea. Simply testing them in the field won’t give me the results I will truly need. Plus, I can have a little fun while doing it.” She stopped typing then, turning to watch him. “I could use some pointers from a professional, however…” She said teasingly, smirking. “Maybe a good tip on how to be a superhero?”

 

Dougie looked hesitant at that, finally tearing his eyes away and moving to scratch his neck nervously. “You say that like I used to be on that side of the battlefield.” He said awkwardly.

 

Alice frowned at that, “You mean you’re a villain?”

 

“More like ‘was’ a villain.” He was afraid to look at her, shutting his eyes worriedly at her reaction. “Back then I was a pretty big deal, I worked along side another powerful villain, but it doesn’t mean that I’m still evil or anything! Believe me, please, I’m not in that lifestyle anymore!” He bit back a whine, “When I signed up to be your project assistant I did it with honest intentions, because you’re really amazing and—“

 

Alice pat his head, abruptly cutting him off. “Don’t worry about it, kid.” She giggled, smiling at him when he visibly relaxed and actually chanced to look at her. She pulled on a grin and ruffled his curls a little, “I’m not a conventional person, it’s all good.”

 

Dougie breathed a little sigh, managing a tired smile. “T-that’s actually really good to hear, Alice. There’s a lot of people out there that wouldn’t say the same. To be honest, I…I thought you needed to know.”

 

She smiled, getting up from her chair to retrieve a water bottle, “Thanks for that, Dougie. I appreciate honesty above all else.” She thought a moment, chuckling. “So…what was it like? I’m really curious.”

 

He took time to answer the question, meandering around the workshop, “It’s intense, most of all. As a villain or a hero, it’s all pretty intense to begin with. There’s nonstop action and you can just get so high on the thrill of being out there. I’ve been in so many battles, but it’s like gambling or drinking, it’s a risk every time.”

 

She nodded quietly, sipping on her drink and leaning against the wall. “Why did you stop?”

 

Dougie scratched behind his neck again, “I…was thinking of my future, really. I wanted something more than the fame and recognition, and that I was working under someone else. Sure, we got along great and did some fantastic stuff, but I wanted to branch out with something for me.”

 

“So you went from being an evil assistant to being an assistant to an evil genius.” Alice grinned then, winking playfully.

 

Dougie laughed weakly, shaking his head. “You’re not all that evil, Alice. You’re…eccentric, you could go either way, actually, but…” He paused then, clearing his throat suddenly, “Are you really going to try becoming a superhero?” He questioned.

 

She considered his question, shrugging, “I don’t know, really. Is there something I need to know?”

 

“Superheroes, they all work tightly knit.” Dougie frowned, sighing. “It’s like this super secret club that is very hard to get in. Everyone knows each other and looks out for each other, but they don’t really take Kindly to other superheroes who try to make a name for themselves.” He moved to sit down on a chair, smiling slightly. “I remember, everyone ousted the Coon because he wanted to branch out on his own and create his own franchise, but he’s pretty much a douche to begin with. He turned super villain after a while, just to spite his former colleagues. We never worked with him, mostly because he was still a douche.”

 

Alice laughed, “Wow. That’s awesome.”

 

The ginger boy chuckled, “Yeah, but it’s still a thing with superheroes, they don’t really trust outsiders. If you come in and try to take their turf they will get defensive about it. I know a few villains, and they’re not as territorial as the heroes are. As long as you’re working for the right side, that’s all they care about.”

 

She nodded again, stepping back towards her chair and sitting down, “What…if…” She began, setting her bottle down, “What if I were to be unaligned?”

 

He tilted his head at the question, “I never heard of someone who has done that. But, if you did just that, someone’s going to put up a big stink about it.” He smiled then, “There’s one hero, his name’s Mysterion, he’s one of those hardcore good guys, and if anyone would be offended at an unaligned superhero trying to take his turf it would be him.”

 

Something about what Dougie said made Alice grin at the thought, and he noticed how she began to chuckle at what he said. He blinked owlishly, watching her as she turned back to her computer to bring up another project.

 

“Hey Dougie,” She asked then, still grinning, “Where would I go to get a mask?”


	3. Introducing Psychotique

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know how to end it, but again, I need to write it.
> 
> Bleargh.
> 
> (don't watch soap operas, ever, that's my warning to you folks)

Alice had to force herself to take a day off on Saturday, after spending the rest of the week holed up inside the workshop. Dougie had held her working habits over her head, telling her that if he saw her in there on Saturday then something bad would happen (and he’d be the cause of it). She couldn’t help it if she had so many hours to spend on her inventions, as she proceeded to test out of her classes for the remaining semester so she wouldn’t have to deal with Kyle, Stan or Wendy. She never did well with awkward situations.

 

She planned to meet with Butters after his classes at Five, but before that, she had no idea what else to do. She was left with sitting in her sweatpants in the student common room with a bowl of cereal, watching the Young and the Restless and rooting for the awful one-sided relationship between Billy Abbot and Summer Newman. Who said you couldn’t find good television anymore?

 

When her wristwatch started beeping she almost launched herself from the couch, heading back into her dorm room to actually find something appropriate to wear for a date. Then she realized that she didn’t have those sorts of clothes because she’d never went out on a date before, and settled on the tried and true combination of a shirt and jeans.

 

Alice made sure to check her wristwatch again, tapping it a few times until a blue light pulsated on the screen. She proceeded to grab a jacket and quickly head down the stairs, pulling the jacket on and glancing around for her mysterious protector. Of course, he wouldn’t be out in the open, but Alice knew he was watching. “Don’t wait up.” She spoke loud enough for him to hear, turning her attention away from the curious nothing towards the blue VW bug that entered her eyesight. She grinned and ran towards it, sliding herself over the hood of the car to reach the passenger’s side.

 

Butters was already smiling, “Gee Al, you look happy!”

 

“My assistant forced me to get an actual night’s sleep instead of letting me hang out in the workshop, that’s why.” Alice explained, “He’s a cutie, you’d like him.”

 

He frowned slightly, “Do I have to get jealous of your assistant?”

 

The question made her giggle, and she shook her head, “He’s alright, Buttercup. You don’t have to get protective over me, that’s Mysterion’s job.”

 

The mention of the superhero just made Butters look grumpy. “I just don’t like the thought of strange men workin’ with ya, that’s all. Don’t even mention Mysterion, I don’t trust him either.”

 

Alice smiled at that and leaned over to kiss his cheek, “It’s lovely that my dear Buttercup worries about me. Don’t worry, I know how to protect myself.” She exposed her wristwatch, tapping it. “I have a few defense measures installed into this smartwatch here, that and I think I know a fair amount of combat moves from playing a lot of Street Fighter.”

 

He watched her, taking in how reassuring she looked and eventually forgetting all about mysterious guys with possible ulterior motives. “I heard you tested out of your classes.” He didn’t sound happy about it, the concern still in his voice.

 

Alice looked away then, clearing her throat. “I needed more time to work on my projects, I mean, the grant is just going to waste if I’m not applying myself to my inventions.” When she looked back at him he was frowning at her like a disappointed parent. “What?”

 

“You’re avoiding them, aren’t you?” He questioned, “It ain’t healthy to avoid your problems, Alice.”

 

She forced a smile, “I’m a super genius, Butters, I don’t have time for things like…drama and awkward feelings. I really don’t want to deal with it, really.”

 

“It’s not right.” He reprimanded softly, “Holdin’ in your feelings like that will only do more harm than good. I took Kyle aside two days ago and gave him a piece of my mind, and boy, he really held firm on bein’ a stubborn butthole.” Butters finally pulled the car into drive, driving out of the campus. “You need to talk to them, tell them how much they hurt you, or else you’re gonna just be runnin’ away from your feelings and it’s gonna end badly.”

 

Alice looked guilty, still unable to look directly at him, “I’ve been…spending the last week holed up in the workshop, actually. Today’s the first day I’ve actually slept in my own bed.”

 

Butters’ foot accidentally pumped on the break before he looked at her with wide eyes, “Jesus, Al! You’re not dealin’ with any of this right at all! Well that’s it, then. Our date is canceled, young lady.” He said firmly.

 

Alice looked at him finally, worried. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean we’re gonna just hang out at my place an’ I’m gonna force you to cuddle up on the couch an’ watch some movies with me after I make you somethin’ healthy for dinner, then if you’re up for it, we can snuggle in bed.” He gave her a caring smile, reassuring her immediately.

 

Alice relaxed somewhat, sneaking in a playful smile, “So…what about bedroom activities?”

 

Butters narrowed his eyes slightly, but it wasn’t a mean glare. “Tonight ain’t about sex, Alice, it’s about you relaxin’. If you’re good tonight, maybe tomorrow.” He added the last part quickly.

 

Alice let herself lean against the car seat, smiling over at Butters, “You sound like the best attentive boyfriend anyone could ever ask for, you know that?”

 

He kept his eyes on the road, but Alice could tell that he was blushing slightly. “Gee, Al, we could…if you wanna, I mean.” His voice was quieter now, his eyes glancing her way quickly.

 

She reached over to run her fingers through his hair, giggling when he smiled. “Only if you promise to make me waffles every Sunday.” She whispered.

 

“Who says it hasta’ be on Sunday?” He countered.

 

Alice chuckled lightly, moving her hand to caress his cheek. “It sounds like I might just have a boyfriend.”

 

Butters couldn’t look any happier, smiling brightly at her as he drove them both to his apartment. He did as he said he would do, practically grounding Alice to the couch with a drink and a remote so she could browse Netflix and choose something to watch. He was still smiling, humming a happy tune as he worked on making them both dinner. It was only when he was ready that Alice was allowed away from the couch, the blonde serving her a healthy dinner consisting of baked chicken and mac-n-cheese with broccoli.

 

Alice didn’t like broccoli, and she knew he knew that.

 

“You won’t taste it if it’s in the cheese, Alice.” Butters said seriously, “Be a good girl and eat your vegetables.”

 

It was a far cry from the pizza or Chinese food she had obsessed over for the past week, and after an unsuccessful pout she proceeded to actually do as he said. She just wouldn’t admit that he was right about the cheese, flashing him a smile instead.

 

Butters looked happy that she actually was eating something she was once vocally adamant about, and secretly schemed about other vegetables he could get her to eat. He knew her junk food history, and was weirdly amazed on how she remained so slender after all the crap she shoved into her mouth. But he knew for a fact that she did yoga and aerobics, and had a few videos of her doing one or the other on his phone. Social media was fun.

 

Near the end of the meal, Butters was caught staring at her thoughtfully, seemingly spaced out. Alice put down her fork and waved a hand in front of his face, “Something wrong?” She questioned.

 

He slowly snapped out of it, managing a weak grin, “Oh, ‘m just wonderin’, Alice. You worked so hard this week, but it ain’t because you wanted to avoid your ex-friends. I was jus’ wonderin’ what you’re gettin’ out of all that work.”

 

Alice chewed on her last bit of chicken as she listened, smiling somewhat. “Well, I’m nearly done with two of my projects, and I’m starting on a new thing. I have enough grant money for the rest of the year, but only if I dedicate my time to my projects. Aside from avoiding my friends, that’s mostly why I tested out of my classes for the semester.” She shrugged freely, “I could test out of the college completely, but the grant money will go away if I do that. I need to remain a student at SPU if I want to get my shit done.”

 

Butters tilted his head, “So, what’s your dream, Al?”

 

She shoved her plate back, leaning against the chair. “Well, I want to become this super inventor, someone who makes cool shit everyone will use. I also want to do some good for the world, and I want what I’m making to make the world better.”

 

He nodded at that, “Yeah, but is all that worth all the hassle?” He asked.

 

Alice blinked, “What hassle?”

 

Butters thought about it, taking their dishes and moving towards the sink to wash them off. “You’re sacrificing sleep and your social life for the greater good, for your dreams. Your friends have abandoned you for selfish reasons and the college is setting unrealistic expectations for you to work around. It ain’t right, Alice. You shouldn’t be sufferin’ like that. You should be happy and healthy for your dreams, not tired and lonely.”

 

“Well, the end result will be worth it, wouldn’t it?” Alice asked, moving to join him. “I’ll have these awesome weapons made to revolutionize the weapons industry and make the world safer for everyone, a little lost sleep and food will be worth it.”

 

At that Butters set the dishes down, looking right at her. “Yeah, but does the world even deserve your brilliance?” He reached over to take her hands, smiling sadly. “You’re doing so much to help the world, but what has the world done to earn your greatness?”

 

Alice watched him, smirking somewhat, “Wow, Buttercup, you’re getting deep on me. What do you mean by that?”

 

He stepped forward to kiss her softly, “I just don’t like it when people take advantage of you, not even back in high school, Al. You used to be so happy back before you decided to be part of the greater good. Now you’re so overworked an’ underappreciated.”

 

She moved to kiss him back, leaning against him for a hug. “I’ll be alright, Butters, and don’t worry, I’m planning to step out of the workshop soon.”

 

He tried to smile, “What’cha plannin’ Alice?”

 

Alice flashed him a winning grin, “Just some field testing, that’s all.”

 

* * *

 

 

A superhero needed a name. She couldn’t just go out into the battlefield known as Alice, because that was the first rule of being behind a mask. Anonymity was the most important rule of the mask.

 

There were many rules, and Dougie was a great source on proper etiquette for being a masked identity. She couldn’t really call herself a superhero, as she wasn’t qualifying to actually be one. She couldn’t call herself a supervillain, either. Unaligned, undecided, she was the anomaly.

 

Anomaly was a good name, but it came off as cheesy at best. No, she didn’t want to come off as corny or a joke.

 

Mysterion was the only example she had to roll off of, the superhero’s entire person is the pure definition of mystery. His identity could be just anyone, but his name was exactly that. His powers…she had no idea about his powers. Dougie had told her that he had some kind of shadow melding powers but she couldn’t really ask the guy about it.

 

She idly thought about the superheroes that were already in play. Toolshed was blunt and straight to the point, using tools which were probably from his own shed. Human Kite was a physical kite, with the ability to fly and fuck around with eye lasers. Call Girl used the power of social media and a very good T-mobile plan. Alice had to wonder if Call Girl was sponsored by T-mobile if she was able to afford so many lines, she had to be. Toolshed could easily be sponsored by Ace Hardware, so why not?

 

She asked Dougie that at one point, and he laughed. No, superheroes were too good to be corporate sellouts.

 

Professor Chaos was her only villain to work off of, only knowing him through the news and various youtube videos. His job was exactly what his name was, he was a catalyst for chaos. She wondered to herself if she could get an interview with him one day, because out of everyone it was Professor Chaos that worked her lady boner. Something about him just screamed adventurous.

 

The mask she found at the craft store was a special one, with a holographic sheen against black fabric, it was fancy and the last one she found on the shelf. It was perfect, because it didn’t require any more work to it, and she was horrible at crafts.

 

She was also horrible at sewing, which aced her out on a primo costume to go with the mask. Alas, she was stuck with the idealistic attire that Super Guy and Wonder Storm were used to, sticking a goddamned paper to a hoodie or pinning a cut-out piece of felt to a jacket.

 

Alice chose a navy blue hoodie and a bright purple pad of felt to cut out a large P on. Psychotique was the best name she had so far.

 

Her outfit was simple, a sleeveless hoodie and whatever jeans she was wearing that night, the hood pulled over her hair to hide her braid and the mask over her eyes to further make herself look confusing. She wished she did know how to sew, because she had her eyes on a yard of holographic blue fabric at the craft store that could very well be a good replacement cowl.

 

Her fashion plans had to wait for now, this was all about testing out her weapons. She pulled on her Cybernetic Pulse glove on after tying her converse, calibrating the glove to her pulse rate and grinning as the sensor lit up to show that it was ready.

 

The biggest pain in the ass was having to sneak her own inventions out of the workshop, because under the clause of working there, those inventions were never to leave the basement. She managed to hack into the security system when she was ready to go, replacing the live camera feed with a pre-recorded one so she could get past the security guard. The workshop’s security was tied to the smartwatch on her wrist, something that she could easily manipulate after leaving the building.

 

When Alice was out in the open air, she quickly ducked into the bushes, sliding her staff free from the rucksack she put it in.

 

“Time to party.” She said to herself, grinning.

 

* * *

 

Her visor wasn’t ready yet, but she had something that was good enough for now. A small mp3 player she modified to install a working radio inside, the earbud’s wire providing her antennae to catch the police scanners that broadcasted out on the open air. She turned into the right frequency and waited, walking herself downtown.

 

Only to turn around and run as quick as possible the other way, cursing to herself at her own lack of transportation. She continued to run, hearing blaring sirens as three police cars flew past her to the same direction she was heading.

 

Alice quickly tapped her smartwatch, the blue light pulsating and keeping track of her heart rate, her feet taking her down a different path the closer she got towards the gunfire. It was a hostage situation at the local jewelry store, a two-story building that the owners lived over.

 

“Don’t do anything! I’ll kill her! I’ll kill them both!” The man cried out from a second story window.

 

“We have the place surrounded!” An officer replied harshly, “You either come out alive or in a body bag, your choice!”

 

The man opened his jacket, exposing the C4 strapped to his person. “I’m not leaving here without every fucking piece in this place.”

 

“Well, fuck.” Another cop hissed out.

 

Alice quickly stopped right outside of the jewelry store, taking note of the cops all around. She thought quickly, running towards a second building and climbing the side ladder to the roof. There was enough room for her to leap from the edge of the first building towards the second, and she quickly took that chance, extending her staff and backing up to sprint towards the edge, using her staff to pull-vault herself across the roof and landing on her hands and knees on the roof of the jewelry store.

 

A cop saw the movement, his eyes widening at the superhero on the roof. He leaned into the cop next to him, pointing him up and whispering, “Keep the guy distracted.”

 

The other cop saw the superhero and slowly nodded, “Hey, man, we’re just doing our jobs here.” He said up towards the other.

 

Alice took the earbud out of her ear and stepped towards the edge, kneeling down and seeing a window that was still open. She gripped her staff and slid it downwards into the window, gripping the ledge right after and swinging herself into the room. She breathed, crouching instantly after landing and checking her surroundings, seeing that she was inside the bathroom.

 

This must have been how the assailant got inside, she surmised.

 

She gingerly picked up her staff and crept towards the door, hearing the man have a conversation with the police. She caught sight of a man cowering in the corner and brought a finger to her lips, smiling. The man was twitching nervously but nodded.

 

Her heartbeat was racing, under the situation. Alice breathed out a sigh of relief as a blue light pulsated from the wristband and engulfed her form entirely. She quirked a grin and calmly stepped out, taking note of the countdown on the wristband’s screen.

 

The floorboard creaked under her footsteps, and the assailant froze. He turned around, holding the gun towards the woman. “I should have known they’d send in a superhero!” He cried out.

 

“Oh my god—“ The woman cried.

 

The man heard a gunshot and cursed, moving from the window. “I TOLD YA! I’M TAKING EVERYTHING HERE!” He screamed at the cops outside.

 

“I’m not really going to ask you to stand down.” Alice said calmingly, “Just, let go of the woman, and see if you can take me down.” She quirked a grin, twirling her staff. “I’m itching to fight.”

 

The man laughed, “Ha, who’re you supposed to be anyway? You ain’t Super Guy!”

 

She stepped forward, “No, I’m not. I’m actually better than him.” She quickly looked at her wristband, spreading her arms out afterward. “Common, big man. Take me.”

 

“No! Don’t! He’s wired!” The woman screamed, “We’ll all blow up!”

 

“Don’t just hide behind a civilian, you fantastic idiot!” Alice continued, ignoring her. “COME AT ME!”

 

The tactic seemed to work on the man, and his attention finally turned for Alice. As soon as he let go of the woman she screamed and ran, the man following her out the door before anything else happened. The assailant aimed his gun at Alice then, scowling. “I ain’t scared of no superhero!” He shouted out, firing the gun at her.

 

She could feel half the impact, stumbling back as the bullet hammered into her, the blue of the forcefield however kept it from penetrating her skin. She looked at the timer and counted down the minute, quirking a grin and pushing herself over.

 

The man looked horrified at the fact that she just took the bullet, firing three more times in a panic and watching her stumble every time just to resume standing. “No way, man. No fucking way!”

 

3, 2, 1… The blue glow surrounding her dissolved away into the wristband and a new countdown took over. She brought her hands together and spun the staff quickly, her finger sliding over the middle button to activate the shield.

 

The man shook, looking around after abandoning the gun. “Motherfucker! I ain’t goin out like this!”

 

Alice took the moment he tossed the gun aside to launch at him, swinging the staff into his chest before bringing it around to slam him in the back when he flipped around. “I’m so fucking glad you did that.” She said aloud, bodily flipping him over with more interest in the C4 strapped to his chest. She shoved the staff against his throat while her other hand went through the wiring, frowning.

 

“This isn’t even real.” Alice cried out indignantly, “This is the shittiest fake bomb I’ve ever seen! You have nothing wired up correctly and these aren’t even C4, it’s play dough!” She bent over to smell the packets, noting that they were in fact, play dough.

 

The man groaned, “Yeah, fine, you got me! Christ, I just wanted a payout, man.”

 

Alice rolled her eyes, “Excuses.” She moved her staff away from his throat, “You’re pathetic, this entire thing would have gone better if you decided not to take hostages.” She lectured him, standing up. “Hostages always equal attention, and if you really wanted that payout, it would have been thought out better than faking like you have explosives!”

 

The assailant stared at her oddly, “Are you a fuckin’ superhero?”

 

“That’s not the topic at hand, why didn’t you start smaller like robbing a bank? You could have played a victim and just handed them a well crafted note, collected your money and got out of town quickly. Hitting up an old family’s jewelry store is so fucking weak for a first timer, mostly because you need to think about the safe they carry everything in. You’d need tools, you’d need glass cutters, you’d need the combination to the safe and more than that, you don’t need to take hostages. Instead of playing the short game just play the long one! Patience when plotting out a big payout will give you a bigger reward, and you just looked like it was a wild hair up your ass.”

 

Someone cleared their throat.

 

Alice groaned, “ _What?_ ” She turned around then, coming face to face with Mysterion. Two cops were standing at the door, their eyes wide with confusion while Mysterion’s arms were folded and he looked pretty damn unamused.

 

The assailant raised his hands into the air, swallowing thickly. “I think I’m ready to go to jail.”

 

“Good.” Mysterion said then, glaring at Alice all the while.

 

The cops moved forward, handcuffing the assailant and laughing, “What kind of superhero catches the perp and starts to lecture him about proper criminal practices?” The one asked, smiling at Alice.

 

She grinned, shrugging as she followed them out, knowing all too well the glare that was boring in the back of her head. “Well, you watch so many crime dramas, you start to realize which crimes are better than most.”

 

That earned her a humorous laughter from the two cops, one of them leading Alice out into the street. “Hey, it’s awesome that we see some new talent. You got in and out and did it all unscathed, that’s real good superhero work there.”

 

“She’s _not_ a superhero.” Mysterion growled out.

 

Alice chuckled, “He’s got it right, I’m not. I mean, well, I haven’t decided yet.” She explained.

 

The cop didn’t look too sad, “I’m rooting for you being one of us. You’re the first one I’ve met that’s pretty laid back, most of them are like Mysterion over there, too tense and without humor.” He winked.

 

“I’m right here, you know!” The superhero shouted.

 

“See what I mean?” He grinned, “Well, it’s great to meet you, uh—what’syourname?”

 

Alice winked at him, pulling out the finger guns, “Call me Psychotique.”

 

“Oooh, that’s a good one!” He snapped his fingers, “You two have fun then!” He said as he joined his partner excitedly.

 

Alice giggled, a spring in her step as she skipped off the sidewalk. She twirled her staff, flicking the button to shorten it. The farther out she walked the more she knew he was following. Alice turned around fluidly, walking backwards so she could see him. He still looked angry. “And how are you?” She asked prettily.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” He asked irritably, gesturing to the store two blocks away, “You could have gotten killed! You didn’t even think about it, you just went up there and did it!”

 

“Isn’t that what people are supposed to do, think on the spot?” She questioned.

 

“You were shot, Alice!” He hissed out. “Four times!”

 

She spread her arms out, exposing her unscathed hoodie. “I think what you mean is ‘ _Thank you for saving those two old people, you were amazing and brave_.’”

 

“You could have DIED!” He stressed out, “This is not a game, Alice! Superheroing is not a game! It’s a serious life and death situation every time!”

 

“Implying that I’m a superhero.” Alice corrected him, “Which I’m not.”

 

He stopped dead in his tracks, “What, you’re a super villain? Makes sense how you were _telling that man how to do it right_!”

 

Alice stopped, grinning. “I’m not either a hero or a villain. I’m unaligned.”

 

“That…doesn’t make sense. You’re either one or the other. You can’t be neither!” He looked shocked, so confused at this new information, and that confusion became more anger. “You’re saying that just to piss me off, aren’t you? This entire thing is to piss me off, isn’t it? You want _attention_!”

 

Alice shook her head, exposing her gloved hand. “I’m not saying that just to say it, Mysterion. I’m honestly thinking of doing this. I have the tools to do so, why not test them out, right?”

 

He still didn’t look happy about it, “I refuse.” He bit out. “I refuse to let this happen, no, you’re not going to do this. You’re not one of us, Alice. You’re a civilian playing dress-up.”

 

It was Alice’s turn to look offended, “Excuse me? I’m Tony Fucking Stark in this scenario.”

 

“Tony Stark was a multimillionaire with his own industry! Tony Stark isn’t a _fucking college student with too much time on her hands_!” He cried out.

 

“Yes, but we’re both playboy philanthropists.” She tried one last time to get a smile out of him, but all she got was a glower. “God, you’re so hard to please.” She said then, rolling her eyes, “It’s like pulling teeth with you!”

 

“Go home, Alice.” Mysterion sighed, “Just go home.”

 

Alice stopped moving, “Go home? But I’m just getting started! This place is a hotbed for weird shit and you want me to call it a night and leave!” She aimed her staff out towards downtown, gesturing to the city in general.

 

Mysterion seemed to be pinching the bridge of his nose, attempting to think. “Look.” He began, stepping closer to her. “You’re not cut out for this, you’re an engineer with little to no fighting skill. You made some toys, yes, you made fun toys that help you in the battlefield, but when it comes down to it you’re still just a civilian that has no skill to stand with any of us! If those weapons are gone then you’re defenseless and easily dead, Alice. You need to realize now that you’re nothing but a liability!”

 

Alice glared at him, switching her staff back to full height and slamming it into the pavement. “You’re talking to me like I’m stupid, and I’m anything but stupid. This is where you completely don’t get me, Mysterion. I’m more than a fucking super genius that makes quality weapons, I’m not going into this blindly. I have good sources on your world and he’s supplying me with the prime information about the battlefield and how I’d definitely get major resistance from _you_.”

 

Mysterion stepped forward, narrowing his eyes at her, “You have an informant? Who might that be? From the sounds of it the guy seems like a villain.”

 

She closed the gap, standing nose to nose with the man. Mysterion was taller than her by a few inches but his height wasn’t intimidating at all. She knew a lot of tall guys who weren’t intimidating, like Kyle and he was a major hothead. She glared into his eyes, wondering if those irises were truly blue or if they were contacts. “Whoever he is, it’s none of your business, the only thing you seem offended of is how accurate he guessed you were at being angry at my decision. Why’s that, Mysterion? Am I stepping on your toes?” She questioned, “Are you afraid I’d be a better character than you?”

 

His eye twitched at her words, “Don’t get full of yourself, Alice. You can’t pick up a dollar store mask and a few fancy weapons and call yourself a superhero. It takes years of dedication and training!”

 

She teased a smile, “Why are you so defensive, Mysterion? There’s so many of you out here. I know at least six of you, and you’re acting like this is a closed party that I’m not invited to. Are you that concerned about another superhero skirting in on your city?”

 

Mysterion stepped back then, his hands were shaking from the frustration he was causing her. “I’ve been assigned to keep an eye on you and keep you out of harm, don’t you remember? You doing _this_ ,” He gestured to her and her staff, “Is the antithesis of keeping yourself safe! Imagine if you get overpowered by a super villain and they find out who you really are, they will take you away. They will keep you against your will! They will probably kill you! Aren’t you even a tad bit self-aware over your own mortality? Everything you do is like a giant ‘fuck you’ to my attempts! I’m trying to get this through your head, Alice, you’re not in a position to play around.” He looked almost tired by the end of his speech, just trying to get some kind of critical thinking into her.

 

Alice went quiet for a moment, watching Mysterion carefully. She kept on a stony expression as he talked and not once looked guilty over his little spiel. In all honesty, she didn’t feel bad that he was frustrated, and her hand swiftly slid past the button to shorten her staff. She finally gave him a faint smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes.

 

“I’m tired of playing it safe, Mysterion. I’ve played it safe for so long, I’ve followed so many rules, I’ve been the good little science girl for the public and I’ve lost so many friends because either they couldn’t handle what I’ve become or they wanted to take me for a ride. What do you want me to do, keep myself protected in a bulletproof little bubble so I don’t get hurt?”

 

His eyes widened slightly before they lowered, “That’s not—“

 

“Yes it is, Mysterion. I don’t really know how you see me, but if you were one of my friends, and I mean one of the only two that I’ve kept with me, then you’d see that I’m working myself to death and maybe coming out here with a mask releases me from being the good little science girl that everyone wants me to be, even if it’s only for a few hours.” She ignored how hurt he suddenly felt, as if he was suddenly feeling guilty for not putting in the effort of getting to know her outside of his own mask. She couldn’t feel sorry for him, because he was being paid to keep an eye on her, not be her friend. She stepped away then, suddenly tired now. The foiled jewelry store heist didn’t make her winded, but this whole argument with Mysterion had taken it all out of her, and suddenly she didn’t feel like having fun tonight.

 

She left him without another word, and didn’t bother to look and see if he was still standing there or back in the shadows. It didn’t matter where he was at the moment, because technically he won the battle, she was going home. It was the first time in a while that she really felt the brunt of her identity, as the good little science girl that everyone was watching.

 

She was getting sick of being good.


	4. Confrontations

She was on the paper the next morning.

 

Well, not Alice. But Psychotique.

 

 _“She swooped in and kicked the guy’s ass, then lectured him about not putting effort into his villainy.”_ Said an eye-witness, Officer Michaels.

 

 _“I think the guy shot her, like four times, but there wasn’t a scratch. No blood, nothing! She’s great!”_ The female victim praised with a wistful look in her eyes. _“We need more empowering female superheroes in this time!”_

 

Alice smiled, pointing Dougie out to the elderly woman’s quote, feeling a warmness in her belly. Dougie smiled when he read it, but as he continued downward he frowned, pointing her out to another eyewitness.

 

 _“There’s no Psychotique.”_ Mysterion had said, _“She’s not one of ours, and she’s not someone to be praised.”_

 

Alice kept reading, seeing how Mysterion’s comment sounded jealous and petty from the editor’s viewpoint. She didn’t feel any reason to doubt the editor on that comment.

 

“Sounds like you had an interesting night.” Dougie said after finishing the article. He looked happy for her.

 

Alice wanted to be happier than normal, given the praise, but not even that could diminish the mood that Mysterion had put her in. “It was a good night, until you-know-who decided to throw it in my face and try and lecture me about how I’m not supposed to do that.” She said irritably, slumping in her chair. “I hate to think what he does in his off time, if he likes to tell kids that Santa isn’t real or the tooth fairy’s really their parents.”

 

Dougie stifled a laugh at her comment, grinning amusedly. “Don’t let him get to you, he’s just butthurt about being shown up. That’s the thing with superheroes, they say they’re not in it for the recognition, but then they take offense to being shown up. They’re entirely hypocritical in that aspect.”

 

Alice made a face, sliding out of her chair and reaching for the Harbucks coffee he brought her. She put the lid to her lips and drank it. While Harbucks was okay, she wanted Tweak Bros. coffee. Something about the small coffee shop appealed to her, and not just the handsome blonde with a twitchy demeanor that worked behind the counter. “I’m actually going to…go somewhere.” She decided after swallowing a mouthful of white mocha. “You can handle it here, right?”

 

Dougie nodded, but he still looked uneasy. “Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, Mysterion’s an asshole but it shouldn’t get to you. He’s an asshole to everyone.”

 

Alice gave him a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry about me Dougie, I’m a big girl.” She shrugged off her lap coat and made her way to the entrance, slipping on her jacket and giving him a thumbs up. “I’ll bring back some pastries.” She got her bag quickly and hurried into the elevator.

 

She saluted the security guard on her way out, meeting with the chilly air once she was outside and breathing in the cold. The feeling of chill on her lungs made her feel more awake, more alive. She stood there for a moment to clear her mind, because the only thing she was thinking of was Mysterion and the more she thought about him, the more unhappy and brooding she felt. It wasn’t something she wanted to do, to linger on someone who obviously didn’t know her at all. But, he really couldn’t just step out and give her any time of day outside his mask, could he?

 

She would have thought about it longer but someone bodily ran into her. She felt her weight teeter on one foot and she started to fall over, but whoever ran into her quickly grabbed her arm to righten her up.

 

“Shit, sorry. I didn’t really see you.” He was blonde, which made her scoff lightly, what was with her and blonde boys? Butters and Tweek and now this cutie with amazingly blue eyes. He watched her scoff and gestured to the hedge that she was standing next to, implying that, yes, he didn’t really see her when rounding the corner. Alice blinked, focusing on that small part of the explanation and realizing that yes, the hedge was too tall.

 

“Oh, well, I really wasn’t paying attention, so no problem.” Alice tried to smile, but she was still distracted.

 

The blonde finally realized that he was still holding her arm and easily let go, watching her carefully. “Hey, you’re that…you’re Alice Horowitz, are you?”

 

Her name sounded nice on his tongue, and she regarded him cautiously. Her name held weight to it, it held a foreseeable future and expected expectations. It held a lot of things that she wished she never allowed it to happen. “Yeah.” She said shortly, “I…I was just leaving, so.”

 

The blonde could see the lack of enthusiasm to her own name and fixed on a look of concern. “Are you okay?” He asked.

 

“Are you late for your class?” She asked defensively, noting the backpack hooked around his shoulder. The blonde shook his head slightly, easing on a cool smile.

 

“I don’t really go to school here, I’m actually meeting with someone near the campus. He offered me a job here.”

 

Alice nodded slowly, “Okay.” She stepped away then, in the direction of Tweek Bros. “Have a good day, then.” She started to leave then, going back to her own thoughts before she realized there were footsteps behind her. She glanced back, noticing the blonde was following her. Alice reached for the smartwatch on her wrist, ready to activate it. “Just so you know, I have a taser on me.” She said warningly.

 

The blonde seemed to laugh at that, shaking his head. “Dude, I’m heading this way to begin with. Calm down.”

 

She frowned then, easing her hand away from her wrist and slumping. “Sorry.” She said off-handedly. Once upon a time she wasn’t so defensive of strangers, no, she actually welcomed them with open arms. Back when she was a nameless girl with no attachment to her identity to speak of. It was a sour thought, how now all of that was thrown away for a modified wristband as a way of defense and uneasiness towards handsome blonde strangers. “I’d feel better if I at least got a name.” She offered, stopping shortly so he could walk along-side her.

 

The blonde still looked concerned at her demeanor, but he didn’t press on his concerns. “Kenny McCormick.” He answered simply, “Are you always like this with people you don’t know?” He asked then, quirking a brow.

 

Alice groaned, “No…believe it or not I used to be an inviting person.” She said sadly, “I’m really a friendly person, honestly. I just…” She took a breath, “Sorry, I’m not really…uh…this isn’t really my day right now.” She couldn’t even try to smile, “Nothing against you.”

 

Kenny thought over her words, nodding to himself. “Well, if you need someone to talk to, I’m offering my ear. I really can’t imagine what you’re going through, but it doesn’t really hurt to vent out to an impartial party. Or are you going to meet some friends?”

 

The laugh that escaped her was bitter, mouthing the word ‘friends’ and suddenly feeling more like shit than before. “I…being an engineer doesn’t allow me many friend slots, so far I seem to have gotten myself a boyfriend, and that seems like a weird feat in itself.” She said honestly, “I don’t know how long it will last, though, but I’m hoping for the best.”

 

He actually gave her a pitying look, “How could you not have friends? I thought being this super famous smart girl would attract people to you like flies.”

 

She snorted in amusement at the question, “It’s actually not as glamorous as you think, sorry to burst your bubble there, Kenny. When you get super famous people tend to do two things: They either can’t deal with you anymore out of jealousy or some kind of spite, or they want to ride your famous wave and get something out of it for themselves. Or, and this is rare, they stick with you until they become concerned about their own personal safety and ditch you in public inside a coffee shop full of hipster assholes.”

 

She knew she sounded bitter while she said it, but it was the truth. She still didn’t get that chance to tell Kyle or Wendy or Stan how their actions ripped her apart from the inside, mostly because she was still avoiding them. Butters was sweet, but not even he could make that better for her.

 

Kenny didn’t know what to say, looking almost shocked at the concept. “Oh,” He finally managed to spout something out, sighing. “Dude, that sounds rough.”

 

Alice faked a smile, and she knew he wasn’t buying it. “I’m okay.” She lied, against her own beliefs on the subject. She was allowed to lie about her emotions, because she needed to carry on that public outlook of being happy.

 

Tweek Bros. was like a haven right now, a beacon in the small distance that offered her some salvation away from dealing with her own feelings. Maybe she’d drown her sorrows in one of those extra large coffee cups full of a warm macchiato, and she could just spend the day pretending not to watch Tweek work when she really was, but acting like she wasn’t because he was always super aware of people staring at him. It wasn’t like she was going to actually do anything, she knew the other was gay and off limits for another man, but he was still pretty and his eccentricities were interesting to watch. Yes, she knew she sounded like a stalker, but she managed to convince Tweek that she wasn’t after his soul.

 

When Kenny went for the door Alice found herself blinking at him in confusion. He offered her a smile, holding it open for her. She stepped inside, instantly enveloped with the warming atmosphere of the coffee shop and the delightful smells of baked muffins and coffee beans. She looked around for Tweek, spotting the wild blonde hair behind the counter and smiling when he instantly felt eyes on him and sharply turned to face her. His features seemed to warp into many emotions, shock and dismay and caution and relief, but it wasn’t her that he was staring at after two seconds, a smile edging his face as he waved toward Kenny’s direction.

 

“So you decided to accept the offer?” He questioned the other blonde. Alice turned back towards Kenny, then back at Tweek. Tweek was a fairer blonde then Kenny was, the latter’s hair being more golden and yellow while Tweek’s was like silken rays of the sun. She stayed quiet while they exchanged pleasantries and went into a conversation about work.

 

“City Wok refuses to give me the hours I need, really.” Kenny said to his friend, “The location isn’t that great anyway, I needed something on the other side of town.”

 

“Nng…well in that case, welcome to the family! Dad’s been wanting more help around here, but so far people who apply end up quitting after two weeks.” He twitched from the explanation as if he didn’t care for the work habits of people who weren’t used to working with Tweek Tweak or the Tweak family in general. “I know I can count on you, Ken.” He said then, actually smiling.

 

Kenny pulled out the finger guns, slipping his backpack off, “I’m willing to start right away if you need me.” He offered.

 

It was then Tweek’s eyes trailed over to Alice’s form quickly, for a split second, as if he knew she was standing there. “Don’t you have…nnnh…other duties?” He asked in a hushed whisper.

 

The secret code was clear to Kenny and he shook his head at Tweek’s words, “Everything’s alright right now, dude.”

 

Tweek nodded a little too enthusiastically and turned away to hunt down an extra apron. “I haven’t seen you here in weeks, Alice!” He called out to the other, perking Alice’s attention as she was being spoken to.

 

“I decided to actually come outside today.” She said calmly, “Besides, I missed your pretty face, Tweekers.”

 

Tweek’s right eye twitched and his face turned pink, his own lopsided smile forcing out as he took position to take her order. “C-can I interest you in our scones? They’re fresh out of the oven.”

 

Alice made her way up to the counter and looked over the baked goods case, thinking. “I’ll actually order some food on my way out, I promised my assistant some pastries. I’m just not ready to go back yet.”

 

He nodded quickly, taking out his notepad. “The usual then?”

 

“As big as you can get it.” She smiled now, a real one, because Tweek had that effect on her. His mere presence could make her smile even if something absolutely horrible happened, like a family death or a zombie apocalypse.

 

Tweek turned away to begin preparing her order, and Kenny had mysteriously vanished into the back room. Alice had to admit he was good at moving without detection. She hummed idly to herself, stepping towards the empty table in the back of the shop and sitting down, taking out a tech magazine and flipping through it. There was a curious article on her inside the pages, how her Genetic Information Technology was being called into scrutiny, if the public was really ready for such a change. It polled pro-gun supporters who were against her entire idea and liberal anti-gunners who supported the change, however there were a mixture of both sides who felt alternatively, gun supporters who actually loved the idea of their weapons being unable to be used by others and how it didn’t take away their rights in general and the liberal anti-gunners who wanted more than just a modification and doubted how genetic technology would work against people who could find a way to get past it.

 

It was weird, how people were so vehemently against change of any kind. Alice was designing ways to make everything safer for everyone involved without having to do anything. While she hadn’t designed the genetic lock for the guns yet, she had enough data to design and create the fingerprint locks for firearms. Something held her back, and it wasn’t the three death threats from unknown senders that she had given to the FBI. The other weapons were taking most of her time, and she rather work on other things than firearms. The Cybernetic Pulse Bomb was better than a gun, in her opinion.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a hot steaming mug of coffee placed in front of her. She looked up and smiled at Tweek, who returned the gesture before scurrying off to take more orders. Kenny was back from the back room, wearing an apron over his orange hoodie and mopping the floors nearby.

 

Alice took a tentative sip of her drink and sighed. It was the perfect temperature and the perfect taste, and she thought of giving Tweek a nice tip for his service. She flipped the page in her magazine but couldn’t continue reading, her eyes stuck on the front doors as they rang to indicate more customers. The longer she stared at the door the more she felt a cold chill go down her spine, her limbs growing numb from the anxiety of who she was seeing. She swallowed thickly, holding the magazine over her face quickly before Kyle could scan the store. The magazine was shaking slightly in her hands, and she shut her eyes slowly, listening to the trio strike up a conversation with Kenny (“Oh hey, why are you here?” “I got tired of City Wok, dude.”). She could hear Wendy’s giggle far too clearly and Kyle’s voice as he ordered his coffee. Stan called them over to a table and continued small talking with Kenny.

 

She couldn’t do this. Alice stared at the same sentence on the page and forgot that she was actually enjoying the moment before they came in. She could already hear Butters tell her to say something to them, tell them how hurt you were, and she could actually hear herself make excuses to prolong the misery. It would be just easy to pretend like she wasn’t here, hide behind the magazine and fake it. That’s what she did best, right? She faked it until she made it. But faking it required a good amount of fucks to give and she was so wracked with anxiety right now, the pure adrenaline that was attached to her nervous state of mind.

 

Butters would be proud of her if she actually did it, wouldn’t he? It would make that cute boy of hers so happy that she actually stood up for herself. The moment to act was right upon her and she could just stand up right now and go over to their table. All she had to do was fight off the wobbly feeling in her legs that threatened to take her down.

 

She was doing it without realizing, and by the time she realized it, she was halfway to their table and shaking like a leaf threatening to fall from the tree. It was too late to turn back when Wendy’s eyes fell onto her form, and Alice took a deep breath, pulling forth every bit of strength she had at the moment to do what she had been trying to avoid.

 

“Oh…” Wendy looked awkward at her presence, calling attention to the other two and pointing at her, “Hey, Alice.”

 

Alice didn’t reply, stepping up to their table and stopping.

 

From the counter, Tweek made a strangled noise, and Kenny took notice of the situation, mopping slower now and watching them.

 

“I just wanted to let you know what you’ve done to me.” Alice began, keeping her voice normal.

 

Kyle looked around, taking note of the eyes watching them. “This isn’t the place to make a scene, Alice.”

 

All the nervousness she once had drained away at those words, and Alice fixed Kyle with a glare, “Oh, it isn’t, Kyle?” She said a decibel louder now, “So when all of you decided to tear me apart emotionally, you found it was better to do it when there were plenty more people in the cafe?” She cut him off when he opened his mouth to retort, glaring at him, “I think this is actually the perfect fucking place, Kyle. I’ve been letting this go on long enough.” She forced a smile at the three, seeing their emotions rotating. “Did you even notice me missing in class, guys? I was so fucking happy, I was. I lost a lot of people, but I was still happy because I thought I kept the real true friends that stuck with me. Then you three decide to drop me, just like I never meant anything. I know your reasons behind it were logical enough, but the way you did it. The way you decided to just spring it upon me so suddenly, without giving me any notice. It was the biggest dick move of the century.”

 

Stan scratched the back of his neck, “Look, Alice, we already got the whole lecture from Butters already, we don’t need—“

 

“Don’t.” She hissed out, “I’m doing this for my own fucking closure, not for your benefit. This is my moment, not yours.” She said harshly, “I’ve been working myself to death the past week, and this is the first day I’ve been outside of the workshop. Do you know how mentally jarring it is to be someone who can’t enjoy life because of everyone’s expectations? I’m so glad I have Butters, you know? He keeps me from my uglier thoughts and helps me through it. He’s been so good to me, and I don’t really know how I deserved that, but it really speaks volumes when the only fucking friend I had left is the only one honest enough to stand by me despite my name.”

 

“Alice,” Kyle spoke up.

 

“Not. Now.” She snapped, “I just wanted to let you know that we had a good thing, all four of us. You kept me feeling like I hadn’t thrown my life away for the good of humanity. I really felt like Iron Man, ya know? But now I feel like Loki, and you’ve all been Odin. Thanks so much for pretending like you actually cared about me.”

 

By the end of it, they looked listless, and Wendy’s eyes were full of guilt. Alice felt a hand on her shoulder and bristled, tearing herself away from the table and turning away to hide the fact that she was tearing up. She let out a small curse, because she was sick of shedding tears for them and they didn’t deserve any more.

 

Kenny watched Alice return to her table, pretending like she wasn’t crying when she actually was. He turned to look at the three friends, silently questioning their entire being with just his eyes.

 

Tweek swallowed thickly from the counter, moving a third cup onto the countertop. Halfway through Alice’s words, he decided to put their orders into paper cups instead of ceramic, his eyes full of worry as he stared over at Alice’s direction.

 

Kyle opened his mouth to argue, because he suddenly wanted to defend himself, but Kenny cut him off sharply with his own gesture. Kyle closed his mouth then, turning to his friends and gesturing for them to get up and leave.

 

Stan cast one last sad look at Alice’s form, paying for their orders before all three of them left the establishment in heavier hearts than when they entered.

 

Alice busied herself with nursing her own coffee, which had cooled down since she left the table. She managed to stop crying, and while she finally said everything that was plaguing her, she still felt like shit. Nothing has changed, Butters was wrong. It didn’t make her feel better to come out to them, but it made her feel even worse.

 

“Are you okay?” Kenny’s voice nudged itself into her ears, and she cast sad eyes on the other. Tweek stood a few feet away from the table, wringing the end of his apron in his hands and watching Alice wearily, like she might snap at any moment.

 

“D-dude,” His high voice broke the silence, “I really felt that, the anxiety. Man, I wouldn’t have done that. It was a douche move for them to do, Alice.”

 

She let out a sigh, unable to stop the new flow of tears that escaped her.

 

Tweek jumped at that, freaking out like he caused her to cry. “Oh shit, I didn’t mean—“

 

“It’s okay.” Alice wiped her tears away unsuccessfully, “I’m okay.”

 

The fairer blonde nodded quickly, stepping back. “Um…if I wasn’t afraid of being spied on by the government, I’d be happy to hang out with you—ack—I mean—“

 

“It’s okay Tweek,” Alice managed to smile, “I understand.” And she did, and she wouldn’t press further because he didn’t deserve that pressure.

 

Kenny sighed, “Alice…” He moved so he could take the second chair, sitting down onto it. “I really feel…bad…I mean…when you told me about that, I didn’t know how bad it was.” He felt awkward, but he pressed on. “Is there something I can do?” He asked.

 

Alice shook her head, “I’m going to be okay. I mean hey…the strongest people can take a beating.” She smiled reassuringly, “I’m pretty strong, you know.”

 

That made him worry, from the way she said it. “Yeah but even the strongest people have their weaknesses.”

 

That earned him a grin, and Alice took one final sip of her coffee, “There’s no weaknesses for those who can’t afford them, Kenny.” She stood up then, collecting her magazine and bag, “Tweekers, box me up a dozen of your goodies.” She called out, resuming life as if she hadn’t been beaten down just five minutes ago.

 

Kenny watched her talk with the other, still looking worried. He tried not to linger too much onto it, how she switched gears with her emotions so quickly and buried them with a grin. He didn’t expect the girl he’d known to be so daring and exuberant be a fragile glass vase that was ready to fall apart at the faintest crack.

 

Somewhere in his mind he wondered what was going to break first, her facade or her heart.


	5. Super Fuckers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU centers on the fact that civilians don't know who the superheroes are. Villains don't know who the superheroes are, and superheroes don't know who the villains are. The only ones who know who's who in the superhero world is the superheroes themselves, the same goes for villains for other villains. But for all intents and purposes, Alice fails to hold her identity a secret to everyone involved.
> 
> Because of this, Super Craig is called Super Guy and Wonder Tweek is called Wonder Storm.

Butters was working, which wasn’t a total shock, but Alice wanted to at least hide out at his apartment for the night. Dougie lived off-campus, but she didn’t know him well enough to ask to live on his couch for the night. She just didn’t want to stay in the workshop for another night, or go back to her own dorm and sleep.

 

The only option was to suit up.

 

It was almost laughably easy to sneak her own inventions out of the workshop after the first time, and the second time was just as sad. Not that she would request for better security, that would just put a stop hold to her own field tests. Alice quickly tuned her mp3 player into the police scanner, whistling pleasantly while making her way off campus.

 

She needed to invest in some heelies or a skateboard, maybe a razor scooter. One of those would have been faster than running at breakneck speed up towards the mall. Hell, even the bus would have made it easier on her poor feet, but she was wearing Keds and that provided little support.

 

The sight however, the sight was glorious. She wasn’t the first one to the scene, stepping up towards the group of onlookers (why were there always onlookers to these midnight shows? How did they get there?) and staring up high. The action took place on the roof of the mall, Professor Chaos versus a handful of superheroes. Fastpass, Doctor Timothy, Human Kite, Toolshed, and Super Guy.

 

Professor Chaos’ minions were holding their own, but it looked dangerously outnumbered, how Chaos was the only villain versus the others.

 

In fact, wasn’t Professor Chaos the only villain she’s ever heard of aside from The Coon? There were at least a dozen superheroes, and villains were few and far between. She took that carefully in her thoughts as she snuck further into the police area, waving down a familiar officer and following where he told her to go.

 

There were minions all over the mall, looking for anyone to fight. Alice did her best to keep herself in the shadows, attempting to get higher.

 

Maybe she allowed herself to get caught, or maybe she made that sound by accident, but quickly she was restrained, one of the minions with the number 35 on his shirt waiting expectantly for her to hand over her staff. Alice ended up doing so, mostly because she knew he wouldn’t be able to use it, and also because she still had her glove. There wasn’t anything to be afraid of at the moment.

 

“Who are you?” 35 questioned suspiciously.

 

Alice smiled smoothly, “Psychotique, I’m kinda new here.”

 

His eyes narrowed, registering her name for future use and looking at the two holding her, “Take her to the boss!” He ordered.

 

Alice kept calm, allowing herself to be ushered up the escalator and further up the fire exit. 35 followed closely behind her, carrying her staff.

 

“Don’t try anything funny.” He warned her as he ushered her towards the top.

 

The roof was blinding once she stepped out onto it, as there were floodlights at all corners and a helicopter in the distance belonging to the news station. Her presence seemed to have stopped everyone from acting, and everyone’s eyes turned towards her.

 

Chaos grit his teeth at the minions, as if they interrupted something. “What?”

 

“We caught this superhero sneaking in from the first floor.” 35 announced, the other two dragging her body towards him. “She calls herself Psychotique.”

 

“Actually…” Alice spoke up, smiling over at Chaos. “I’m not really a superhero, I’m still unaligned, you see? I’m not really one or the other at the moment.”

 

That seemed to amuse Chaos, and he cracked a smile and chuckled, “I’ve never heard of an unaligned identity. Have you come to watch us?”

 

“Wait, I’ve heard of you!” Toolshed spoke up. “You’re in the paper!”

 

“Shot four times and didn’t take a hit.” Super Guy said blandly, “I don’t believe it.”

 

“Quiet guys,” Human Kite eased them off, “This is what Mysterion had to deal with last night.” He said it was distaste in his mouth. “She’s some civilian that assumes she can become a fighter.”

 

Alice quirked a grin at that, giggling and flexing her gloved hand. “Actually, I can do more than assume.” She said calmly, a ball of light expanding in her palm. She released it at the ones holding her, the two of them crying out as the pure energy collided with their bodies and flung them aside. 35’s eyes were wide as she flexed her wrist, creating another ball of energy in her palm while her other hand reached out flatly towards him. She smiled prettily at the minion. “I’d like my staff back now.”

 

The minion nodded slowly and handed her the staff back, and Alice smiled, flicking her fingers together to put the ball of energy out.

 

“Tha—tha—tha—that’s the Cybernetic Pulse Bomb!” Fastpass gasped out. “I know that invention!”

 

Human Kite turned his attention towards Fastpass. “What?”

 

 _“I remember that invention as well, it’s created by the engineer Alice Horowitz!”_ Professor Timothy announced, _“She’s either the famed inventor or a thief!”_

 

Chaos stilled at the name, staring at the inventions and then at the woman behind the mask.

 

Alice snorted, not noticing the shocked stares she was getting, “Alice Horowitz doesn’t care for the action, she’s contracted me to test out her inventions and give her full reports on their results. Doesn’t mean I don’t know how to kick your ass without them.” She winked playfully at Human Kite, making the other glare at her.

 

Chaos cleared his throat, stepping towards Alice, “If the statement’s true then I don’t see a reason in keeping Psychotique from joining us.”

 

“Well, I do!” Toolshed spoke up, gesturing toward Alice. “We don’t even know enough of this woman to trust her, we can’t just let her into our business! That and she’s unaligned, that’s a serious red flag! Either you’re good, or you’re evil!”

 

Alice scoffed, folding her arms. “You sound just like Mysterion, I swear. I can be unaligned if I damn well want, you Ace Hardware piece of shit.”

 

Toolshed glared at her, “Fuck you, Psychotique! The tools are from Sears!”

 

“Oh, I’m shaking in my boots, you have overpriced tools that can kick my ass.” Psychotique bit back. “I’m sporting one-of-a-kind Genetic Information Technology, here.” She twirled her staff with a grin.

 

“Genetic Information Technology is flawed and so is the person who made it!” Human Kite shot back defensively.

 

 _“Freedom Pals,”_ Doctor Timothy tried.

 

It was too late, and Alice flexed her glove again to create another ball of energy, slamming her staff into the roof of the building and activating the anchor to hold it there. “Say that again you laser eye motherfucker!” She cried out, launching the energy ball at him like one would throw a bowling ball.

 

Human Kite managed to dodge it, flying up into the air to aim his own eyes at her.

 

Alice recoiled to grab her staff, deactivating the anchor and activating the shield, spinning the staff in place as the lasers tried to hit her. The shield kept her safe from his glare.

 

Toolshed barred his teeth and took out his power drill, launching an attack at Alice that she couldn’t block. She cried out as she was knocked back, taking a strong breath and narrowing her eyes at the following laughter from Super Guy. She managed to jump herself back upright and flex her staff to full length, charging at the other and swiftly slamming her staff into his gut.

 

 _“Freedom Pals! Enough!”_ The Doctor attempted once again.

 

“W-w-we—got this!” Fastpass launched forward to attack Alice from behind, but Chaos was faster, slamming into the other superhero and saving Alice from being a victim of a sneak attack. He hissed out, glaring dangerously at Fastpass.

 

“Not on my watch!” Chaos called out, “Minions!” He summoned his men, grabbing Alice’s arm and easing her away from the rest of them as his minions jumped in to provide a wall. “Hear me, minions. Pass this around, Psychotique is to be protected under my name, and she is one of us.”

 

Alice’s eyes widened, staring at Chaos alarmingly, “W-what? Me?”

 

“Unaligned my ass.” Super Guy spat out venomously, rubbing his injury.

 

“If Psychotique’s a friend of Chaos then she’s definitely a supervillain.” Human Kite said acidly.

 

“Wait until Mysterion hears this.” Toolshed muttered.

 

Alice was still staring at Chaos incredulously, opening her mouth but the words from Human Kite had her glaring at him. “Hey, first of all, fuck you! If this is how someone is fucking treated by a superhero in this town for trying to fucking help someone out, then maybe I don’t really want to be a fucking superhero! All of you are a bunch of toxic assholes to begin with!”

 

“As if I’m going to listen to this bullshit!” Kite bit back, opening his mouth to speak again until Doctor Timothy stopped him with a hard glare. It made Kite recoil alarmingly, wondering why he was so upset.

 

 _“It is time to retreat and report back to Mysterion, friends.”_ Doctor Timothy stressed the words, _“Right. Now.”_

 

“But—“ Kite tried again, but the glare eventually had him stepping back.

 

“This isn’t over, Psychotique!” Toolshed threatened, joining the others.

 

Alice watched them all leave, blinking confusedly. “O…kay.” She mouthed.

 

Chaos glared after them, wondering why they were suddenly retreating but eventually coming to terms with it, turning towards Alice and peering at her. He managed a smile, “So, Psychotique, hm?”

 

Alice was slowly realizing that she was standing face to face with the Professor Chaos himself. The very Professor Chaos that wreaked havoc upon South Park for years. She looked him over slowly, taking in his costume, the sharp sea green eyes and his strong boyish features.

 

She had to remind herself that she had a boyfriend.

 

“So that right there is the next wave of the future.” Chaos said then, looking at her staff thoughtfully. “I heard about that Genetic Information Technology, but I’ve never actually seen it.”

 

Alice glanced down at the staff, smiling and holding it out for him to look at. “Promise not to run away with it.” She teased.

 

Chaos chuckled and took the staff in his hands, feeling the weight of it and running his fingers over the buttons, noting that they didn’t do anything under his touch. He gave it close scrutiny and grinned, “Fantastic craftsmanship.” He said appraisingly, “Alice Horowitz is as delicate as she is beautiful.”

 

Alice found herself blushing at the comment, clearing her throat suddenly, “Uh, you…you’re familiar with her?” She asked.

 

He nodded, “I followed her ever since the start. She’s a fascinating young woman. I’d love to meet her one day, just to chat.”

 

Alice tried hard not to giggle, and suddenly she was bewildered at the fact that she wanted to giggle like a fucking schoolgirl with a crush on a rock star. She ended up even more flushed than she was before, “Flattery can get you everywhere, Professor.” She said in a light voice.

 

“Call me Chaos, Alice.” He said smoothly, handing the staff back to her.

 

Alice’s hands fumbled when he uttered her name, unable to get a grip on the staff and dropping it out of pure shock. She quickly bent down to pick it up, her eyes wide when she finally looked at him again.

 

“Oh…uh…am I that transparent?” She asked.

 

“Just a tip.” Chaos reached over and tapped her hand, her _gloved_ hand. “Your inventions are a good tell, I wouldn’t use the ones you’ve published about in science magazines.”

 

She looked down at her Cybernetic Pulse Glove curiously, managing a giant grin at her flub and shrugging. “Uh, don’t kidnap me, kay?” She asked nervously.

 

The question made Chaos laugh, snapping his fingers to disperse his minions. “I wouldn’t dream of it, why would I kidnap you?” He grinned then, hooking an arm around her shoulder. “I wouldn’t dream of kidnapping or doing anything to such a beautiful and talented woman, I admire and respect you, Alice. Unlike the Freedom Pals, I see great potential in you.” He smiled.

 

She was having such a hard time remembering that he was a supervillain right now, and anything he could be saying was probably deeply enveloped in evil lies. Though he really didn’t seem so evil right now, he came off as charismatic and (very) charming. She wasn’t stupid, however.

 

Chaos, however, wanted to kiss her right now, in all honesty. He wanted to pull off his mask and come out as her loving boyfriend but tonight wasn’t the right night. He had to ease his identity in gently, make her trust Chaos. “Would you like to come over to the Chaos Lair?” He asked, “We can have that chat I’ve been talking about. One of my minions makes some great chocolate chip cookies.”

 

Alice managed to giggle at that, fully amused by the invitation. She wanted to decline, just to be safe, but somewhere in there it awakened Mysterion’s voice that was praising her for doing the right thing. She didn’t want to hear that voice right now, and thought about how he might be somewhere close by, watching her. Bitter spite erupted from deep within her gut, the kind that didn’t agree with Mysterion and his views on her safety. She was a big girl, she could take care of herself.

 

“Sure, I’m down.” She decided with a playful grin.

 

* * *

 

Mysterion wasn’t expecting the commotion when he returned to the Freedom Pals’ base. Almost everyone was arguing with each other, and Doctor Timothy was trying to regain some order in the room.

 

“ _We’re not getting anywhere by just arguing about this!_ ”

 

“She’s evil, she’s an asshole, and we should be contacting the police for stealing those weapons!”

 

“If Alice Horowitz contracted a villain to use her weapons, what does that mean for the government contract she’s in?”

 

“I still think we should call the dean of the university, tell them what’s going on!”

 

 _“Calling anyone won’t do anything_ good _, it’ll just make everything worse!”_

 

Mysterion could feel a headache coming on as he continued to listen to the arguments, stepping further down into the room, “Hold on, what the fuck is happening?”

 

“ _Mysterion!_ ” Doctor Timothy cried out, “ _Please help me, Psychotique was caught by Professor Chaos’ men when we met up with Chaos himself, but an altercation between her and those two_ ,” He motioned towards Toolshed and Human Kite, “ _Has aligned her with Chaos. Please tell them why this cannot happen at any cost!_ ”

 

His jaw dropped at the news before it shut, the superhero gritting his teeth and glaring at the two of them, “God fucking damnit it’s always you two! You fucking assclowns have just made everything worse!” He cried out.

 

Human Kite looked offended, “Why are you coming to _her_ defense? She’s not even a real superhero!”

 

“The bitch claims to be unaligned and then makes buddy-buddy with Chaos, and _we’re_ getting yelled at!” Toolshed rolled his eyes.

 

“You don’t understand the situation you’ve put yourselves in.” Mysterion hissed out, pointing towards the door, “That woman can’t be pushed towards villainy in any way, you’re screwing us all over!”

 

“Why is this woman so important?” Human Kite cried out, “She’s just a wannabe superhero that is stealing from Alice Horowitz!”

 

“That’s because Psychotique IS Alice Horowitz!” Mysterion ground out, putting everyone except Professor Timothy into a shock.

 

“Wait!” Call Girl stepped forward, “You mean that woman is actually—“

 

“Oh Jesus Christ,” Toolshed pinched the bridge of his nose, “Why is she pretending to be one of us? What the fuck is _wrong_ with her?”

 

“ _This was what I was trying to tell you_ ,” Doctor Timothy said exhaustedly, “ _We can’t risk this woman aligning with evil, friends._ ”

 

Human Kite clenched his teeth irritably, and Mysterion groaned. “This woman is under duress, guys, after three people _who shall not be named_ ,” He glared at Toolshed, Call Girl, and Human Kite specifically, “Had pushed her over the edge. From what I’ve found out, she’s on the fence of good and evil, and having you guys actively battle against her is going to make sure that she’s going to become the next popular super villain!”

 

Human Kite glared, “Why are you blaming us for this? We did what we had to! If we continued to associate with Alice then we would be put in danger of our identities being found out!”

 

“So what if Alice becomes a supervillain?” Toolshed asked abruptly, “We can take her down—“

 

“You’re missing the point!” Mysterion interrupted, “Alice Horowitz is a super genius, the smartest of her age. She could do so much good for the world, so fucking much, but if she turns evil then all that brilliance and brains will be used for evil. She will be worse than Professor Chaos, you guys. _Worse than The Coon_! There’s no telling what kind of evil this woman would be able to concoct if we allow her to become influenced by the wrong people!”

 

Toolshed started to look ill, “Well, shit.”

 

Call Girl thought hard, raising a hand, “What if we attempt to reconcile?” She questioned, receiving offended stares from Human Kite and Super Guy. “What? If we try and steer her away from bad guys, we might lure her to our side!”

 

“I don’t like it!” Wonder Storm said hesitantly, “It sounds dishonest and cruel.”

 

“I’m not fucking making friends with that woman,” Super Guy protested, ignoring his boyfriend’s glare. “She has no reason to prance out onto the battlefield and pretend like she has powers or any sort of skill.”

 

“Does the college even know she’s using the weapons she’s making with their grant money?” Human Kite asked suddenly, “I’m sure there’s some contract about that sort of thing!”

 

Mysterion pinched the bridge of his nose, “All I want is a little help, I’ve been going at this all wrong. So far all we’ve been seeing is a reckless woman that’s pushing the boundaries in order to have fun, and what we’re really up against is a woman whose in her right mind and knows just what she’s doing. We need to stop thinking of her as a threat and more of what she really is, a wild card that can -and will- go off if we push her the wrong way.” He pointed at the other three.

 

“You are going to make this right. I don’t care how, but you will.” He said seriously, gesturing to the door, beyond the Freedom Pals’ base.

 

Call Girl nodded, “If it means keeping her aligned, then I will.”

 

“I suppose I’ll try.” Toolshed didn’t look so sure about it, and Human Kite didn’t say anything at all, still offended and angry.

 

The next few moments was tense, and Human Kite finally pulled his hood down and shook out his hair, “I’m going home.” He announced, deep in thought.

 

Kyle left the building with his phone in his hand, staring at the number to the college and mentally debating on what he was about to do. After a minute he pressed call.

 

The best way to stop Alice Horowitz was to hit her where it counted.


	6. Turning Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to overhaul this so it was less...smutty, but there's no way in hell I can edit the first chapter to remove the sex. It's grown to be so much more than this raunchy idea I had when I wanted more Chaos/Alice shit, so this is basically evolving into something better than it once was.
> 
> At first, I wanted Chaos to warp her mind to what he wanted, some sort of mind fuck, but I thought it would be better if you know...she became evil naturally. It's a challenge, to turn someone evil without the work of mindfucking. I wanted her honest reaction.
> 
> We're almost finished.

If someone told Alice that one night she’d be having tea and cookies with Professor Chaos in the Chaos Lair surrounded by a lot of his minions as if it was a casual date, then she would have laughed in their face and asked for whatever they were smoking.

 

Partway through it she had to wonder if she really was on drugs, or perhaps the tea was laced with meth or cocaine, because this was the trippiest experience in her life.

 

Minion 54 approached them with a teapot for another serving, but Alice wasn’t really a tea person to begin with. It touched her tastebuds like watery leaves, and she declined the offer. 25’s cookies, however, were delicious.

 

“I’m very impressed, it’s like a homey atmosphere in such a private place.” She commented, remembering how she got here to begin with, forced to be blindfolded and driven there so she wouldn’t know exactly where she was. They allowed her to keep her weapons on her person, though. Trust building.

 

“I try to provide my minions with a relaxed and creative atmosphere where they’re not afraid to speak their mind.” Professor Chaos said with a smile, “I realize many villains rely on fear as a motivator, but I don’t agree with that. Fear creates hatred, and warmth and trust create a familial bond.”

 

“That and he pays us well.” 14 commented with a grin, “I’m paying off a student loan!”

 

“That, too.” Chaos agreed, chuckling.

 

Alice laughed amusedly, having discarded the mask and hood as long as they were inside the warehouse. “Man, are you sure there’s nothing in this tea? Some crafty psychedelic drug maybe?” She paused for a moment and suddenly regretted her words, sighing, “Sorry, I’m still reeling over this.”

 

“I understand.” Chaos couldn’t stop staring at her, smiling as if he was smitten. “Please go on, about your work with the college.”

 

She perked up at that, “Oh well, yeah. The college, we don’t really see eye-to-eye on many things. They actually think that because they’re supplying me with grant money that they own anything I create under their roof, which I don’t agree with in any way. I’ve had to test out of my classes for the semester because they had this time-crunch on me for finishing my initial weapons on time, and me being out there on the battlefield is actually my way to test them out. It’s not really what they thought as an ideal test site, but they’re my fucking toys.”

 

“Such an interesting way to field-test your inventions, but I hardly think that they have right to anything you create. Treating such a valuable woman like property isn’t a good way to conduct business at all.” He tutted, watching her face carefully.

 

Alice couldn’t help but agree with him, chuckling slightly and grinning, “Sacrifices, am I right?”

 

Professor Chaos frowned, “One shouldn’t make sacrifices for their work, especially not a brilliant mind such as yours. You’re not obligated to fill anyone’s pocketbook but your own. The college is taking advantage of you.”

 

“It’s just a hoop to go through, I’ve gone through a lot of hoops to get this far.” She countered, smiling reassuringly. “When I’m finally my own person, things will change.”

 

Chaos shook his head, “Alice, you can be your own person now, you can take control of your future whenever you feel like it. You’re so talented, not to mention beautiful,” He added the last part in quickly, smiling.

 

She grinned again, “Professor, you’re hitting on me.”

 

He quirked a brow, “I’m only speaking the truth, Alice.” He finally got up to scoot closer to her on the couch, “Could you imagine what we could do together? Just you and I?”

 

When he leaned in she leaned back, still smiling and moving her hand to his chest. She winked playfully at him and shook her head, “I have a boyfriend, Professor. If that weren’t the case, then I’d be giving your boys a lovely show. I have to politely decline, however.”

 

It didn’t bother him, that admission, in fact, he looked proud and slightly flushed. “Loyalty is a good thing, Alice. I admire that.” He moved away from her then, “But, my offer is still on the table. You could reach your highest potential if we worked together. We could be unstoppable.”

 

Alice thought about it, and it really sounded worthwhile, but she still had some faith left in humanity, something that kept her from accepting the offer outright. “I’ll think about it, Professor. I’m still trying to do good for the world.”

 

He looked hesitant at the answer, but eventually nodded in acceptance, “I’m sure.” He said simply, standing up again, “Until then, I will leave the invitation open for you. You won’t have to worry about safety anymore, Alice, the word of Chaos is a strong one, and it will keep your blackmailers at bay. You won’t need Mysterion to look after you when my minions are just about anywhere you may be.”

 

Alice couldn’t look any more flustered. Shit. VIP protection from the world’s most popular criminal, who was also offering her a job and…oh man. “Why Professor Chaos, I do believe I have the vapors.” She said in a mock southern-belle accent, waving her hand in front of her face and giggling. “You know how to woo a girl, oh man. I wonder if my boyfriend wouldn’t mind a three-way.” She mused giddily.

 

Professor Chaos laughed at that, “We should meet again, soon.” He winked, “I’d love to meet the man who captured your heart.”

 

She finally stood up, blushing still and quite giddy. “Ah, he’s like a wonderful little Christmas present, an adorable package with a wonderful surprise inside.” She giggled again, “I don’t know what he’d say about meeting a supervillain, though.”

 

He chuckled, snapping his fingers to summon a couple of minions, “Take the lady home, and be gentleman.” He ordered, needing her to leave or else he’d be tempted to ruin the trust he’s working so hard for.

 

“You know the drill.” 14 said to Alice, waving the blindfold in front of her face. Alice winked at the other boy and took it from him, tying the blindfold over her eyes.

 

“Do me a favor and park me outside the college,” She said while 25 lead her out of the building, “I need to do some sneaking to get my toys back where they belong.”

 

The minions drove her back into town, doing as she requested and dropping her off at the entrance. 14 saluted her and drove off, leaving Alice alone in the street.

 

Alice took her time in sneaking back downstairs, returning her inventions to their tables and properly locking up before bidding the security guard a good night.

 

She went back to her dorm with Chaos on her mind, finding sleep after fifteen minutes of dirty thoughts and good vibrations.

 

* * *

 

The next morning was met with a different outlook, and Alice stretched in her bed, ready to take on the day. She quickly showered and dressed, throwing on her warmest coat and hat so she could greet the cold weather outside. She went about the day differently, going for a warm coffee at Tweak Bros. before heading towards the workshop.

 

“Hey Mac.” Alice came in through the doors cheerfully, an extra cup of coffee in the carrier for her security guard. She took it out and waved it in front of the older man, setting it down onto the table. “You like it black, yeah?”

 

The man looked down at the cup and smiled slightly, looking back up at her. “I’m sorry, Miss. Ya ain’t allowed past the front desk.”

 

Alice froze as she took a step forward, frowning, “What do you mean? I work here.”

 

He shrugged, “Ain’t my call, Miss. Got word from the higher-ups that ya ain’t allowed in.”

 

Alice stared blankly at him, holding up her keycard, “But this is _my_ place, Mac. I can’t be barred from my own workshop.”

 

He threw his thumb over his shoulder, “Try it, yeh card ain’t gonna work.”

 

Her eyebrows knitted together but she proceeded to pass by him and try entering her card through the reader, the light flashing red as the elevator stayed locked. Alice frowned, trying it again and again until the security guard finally dragged her away. “But this is my workshop! My shit’s down there!” She cried out.

 

Mac looked helpless, “I can’t let ya in until the dean changes his mind, Miss.”

 

The dean.

 

Alice’s eyes narrowed at the door as she turned to it, leaving the carrier of coffee at the desk. “I’ll be right back.” She said irritably, storming out of the building.

* * *

 

 

Alice sat impatiently inside the Dean’s office, but he wasn’t in the room. Her foot was bouncing against the floor as she stared at the clock, glaring scathingly at the second hand as it fully rotated twice around the clock.

 

He finally arrived five minutes later, not expecting to see her sitting in the room. “Miss Horowitz, what on Earth are you doing here?” He did his best not to shout.

 

“I came in when your secretary went to get me some coffee.” Alice said, her voice laced with annoyance, “Now please tell me why I’m not allowed in my own workshop.”

 

The middle-aged man fixed on a firm glare, eyeing her as he went to sit at his desk. “You violated the contract with the college, and as the contract reads, violating the clause allows me to confiscate everything inside that workshop and legally drop you from your own program.”

 

Alice’s eyebrows shot up, “What the fuck did I violate? I didn’t do anything!”

 

“Language!” He shot out, glaring at her, “Last night I had a call from an anonymous student, and they claimed that you were taking your inventions out onto the city to play with them. I checked with the nightly security guard and found serious evidence that supported the claim.”

 

Her jaw dropped, staring at him in shock, “I—you—that—“

 

The man’s brow quirked, “Are you here to dispute that claim?”

 

“Those were field tests!” Alice finally shouted, standing up. “You wanted me to test my weapons but you don’t want me to remove them from the facility? How else am I supposed to test their stability?”

 

“We provided a test site for you on the campus, Miss Horowitz. Taking those instruments into town to pretend that you’re a ‘superhero’” He added quotations with his fingers, “Is against the rules of the contract. As you have just provided me with proof of the accusation, you leave me no choice but to remove you from the program.” He looked so pleased about it, something that pissed Alice off immensely.

 

“Those are _my_ inventions. Everything in that workshop is _mine_. I have plans and blueprints for a whole lot more in those computer databases and you’re just taking everything I’ve worked so hard on!”

 

The man finally smirked, “I’m sure I can find another brainy student willing to carry on your ideas to fruition, perhaps that young assistant of yours.”

 

Alice snapped, stepping forward and reaching out to grab the man’s tie, dragging him to meet her face to face while subsequently strangling him. “If you think you can fucking take everything I worked my ass off for, then I’m going to fucking tear you apart.” She hissed out dangerously.

 

The man gasped for air, slamming his hand against the desk until it pressed onto a button for the secretary, “Unhand me!” He gasped out, struggling back until Alice let go and reeling back only to point at her, “I want you out of this campus by nightfall, Horowitz! You’re no longer a student here!”

 

“Understood, fuckhead, I no longer wish to suffer!” She threw her arms up and gave him the double bird, keeping her fingers up as she proceeded to leave the room. “Oh, yeah, don’t piss off a person who knows how to hack into your private files!” She called out from the doorway, slamming the door in her wake.

 

Alice hurried out of the building before he called campus security, heading straight for her dormitory. She was feeling short of breath, her heart racing with enough adrenaline to last her years. She let out a cry and slammed her fist into the door, continuing to pound her fists against it before kicking it. She breathed hard, tugging at her hair and finally coming to settle down at her table.

 

She took a moment of silence to think, checking the time. She had enough…she just needed some help. Her hands reached into her pocket to take out her phone, pressing dial on a specific number and waiting.

 

_“Alice?”_

 

Alice smiled, “Hey, Dougie, where are you right now?”

 

_“I’m in the workshop, where the hell are you?”_

 

“Um, well, I’m facing a countdown right now. Someone snitched me out to the dean and now I’m not allowed to go down there, and I kinda got myself expelled in the process.” She let out a sigh as she did, pulling the phone away from her ear and putting him on speaker phone. “I don’t really know who did it, but right now that’s not important. I’ll find out. Right now, I want to get my stuff out of the workshop and I need to do it soon.”

 

There was footsteps in the background and a door opening, soon a few clacking of keys. _“Man, that’s a real pickle Alice. I…um…I think I can help you, though. I know just the right person to contact, but it comes with some strings. If you don’t mind, I can call my old boss for you.”_

 

Alice straightened up, “Anything, Dougie, call him up. I don’t care what I might have to do, just tell him it’s an emergency.”

 

_“Right, uh, I’ll call you back.”_

 

Dougie hung up after that and Alice slumped in her chair, looking around the room and thinking about where to get boxes. She was going to need a whole lot of boxes if she was going to move. The next question was where could she go? She didn’t really have family in South Park, much less Colorado. Would Butters let her stay with him or would that be too much of a bother? What about Dougie, he lived off campus, she could probably offer to pay her way if he needed a roommate. Christ, suddenly she felt sick to her stomach with the idea. Did she just give away her future to go out on the town with a mask and an identity?

 

Alice breathed in slowly and let it out through her nose, trying to calm down. Her phone buzzed and she quickly grabbed it, looking at the screen.

 

_Campus entrance @5_

 

She closed her eyes and breathed in again, finally getting up. She needed those boxes.

 

* * *

 

 

Alice wished she had gloves on, looking at Dougie as they waited in the cold. “You said he’d be here at five. It’s ten after.” She tapped her smartwatch.

 

“His clock is always slow.” Dougie shrugged, pushing up his glasses. “Just be on the lookout for his men. He comes with a lot of people, his employees.”

 

She let out a giggle at that, “This guy must be good if he has employees.”

 

Dougie smiled at her amusement, “He’s actually the best around, really. Smart guy, knows a whole lot of science and creates his own drugs to distribute all over the country. That’s how he makes his money, the drugs are twice as addictive but there’s less of a mortality rate. He doesn’t believe in killing people or frightening others to get his way, as long as they’re willing to work with him.”

 

Alice smiled, “What’s his name?”

 

Dougie grinned, “Well,”

 

Their conversation was stopped by a large truck slowing up next to them, the turn signal going off and Alice skipped over to the side to let the truck into the college. Dougie’s eyes widened and a grin escaped him, the man waving at the driver who saluted him with a wink.

 

Alice watched the truck move in, the trucker blowing the horn before stopping.

 

“It’s him.” Dougie took her hand and led her around to the passenger’s seat. Alice’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the familiar man in the foil costume.

 

“I hear we have a damsel in distress.” Professor Chaos smiled from the door, opening it and getting out. “I’ve brought my minions for a smash and grab.”

 

Alice looked over to Dougie, gesturing at Chaos. “You mean _he’_ s your old boss?”

 

“Hey.” Dougie smiled, ignoring Alice’s squeals.

 

“General Disarray.” Chaos greeted him, “It’s been years.”

 

Alice froze, staring hard at Dougie now, “Wait, you were _The_ General Disarray?”

 

The younger man couldn’t get any more red in the cheeks, “Yeah, yeah, can you please stop staring at me like that?” He asked her, shying his eyes away.

 

Professor Chaos chuckled, stepping back and pounding on the side of the truck, “Minions!” He called out.

 

The back of the truck opened on command and a dozen of his men piled out of the truck.

 

“I want two teams, one team up to Alice’s dormitory to retrieve her personal effects, and the second team with me.” Professor Chaos reached over to Alice, holding out his hand, “Your key.”

 

“Uh—my stuff?” She fumbled for her keyring and shakily handed it to him, “Do you need my room number?”

 

“Nah.” He grinned, “Dormitory A room 501.” He tossed the key over to one of his minions, “I want everything, even the bed.”

 

Alice blinked, staring at Professor Chaos apprehensively, “Uh, why my room? I thought this was for my _other_ stuff—“

 

“Tut, tut.” Professor Chaos put his finger over her lips, smiling at her, “Dougie told me the entire ordeal, you can’t really expect me to come here and not help you move out entirely.”

 

She nodded slowly, unable to understand why he was going so far.

 

“Show me to the workshop.” Professor Chaos said then, removing his finger from her lips.

 

Dougie glanced around, seeing students watch from afar. “Uh, if you don’t mind, I really don’t want to be—“

 

Professor Chaos grinned, “I understand. Go ahead, Dougie.”

 

Dougie nodded, proceeding to run the fuck away from the area. Alice watched him go, giggling slightly and leading Chaos down the road to the workshop.

 

Chaos cast his eyes onto Alice, “You realize that if you do this, you’re making yourself a villain.”

 

Alice kept her eyes on the blackened doors, “Don’t hurt the security guard, keep the cops from getting in.” She began to hear the faint sound of sirens, “I’ll take care of the rest.” She said then, finally looking back at him.

 

Professor Chaos nodded, putting on a smile for her, “I’m proud of you, Alice.” He said warmly, finally pointing to the doors, “You heard the woman, Minions! She’s in charge!”

 

The men let out cries and proceeded to burst into the building. Alice calmly walked into the building after the rest of them ran in, keeping her eyes on the elevator.

 

It wasn’t Mac at the security desk this time, it was someone else. The minions were on him instantly.

 

“The elevator unlocks to an override code just in case things like this happens and the engineers are locked down below.” Alice instructed the others, heading to the computer and hacking into the system. “Ask him the override code, and be nice about it.” She instructed.

 

“You heard the woman, give us the code.” 67 said calmly, trying not to sound as threatening as he wanted to be.

 

The guard kept his hands visible, “The code’s 5497.” He said shakily, “Don’t hurt me.”

 

“5497.” Alice repeated, typing it in until a blue light flooded the whole room and sirens blared, “I’m in. Let’s get down there.” She left the computer to slam her fist on the elevator button, making room for four other minions while two of them stayed outside.

 

The workshop was bathed in a blue light when she made her way inside of it, “I want anything portable. All the tablets and the laptops, whatever’s an actual computer I want to be gutted and just the hard drive taken with you. Oh, and get that stereo system too, I paid at least two hundred for it.” She maneuvered to the larger computer system and pulled out a flash drive from her pocket. “Leave the weapons here, they’re mine to get.” She commanded.

 

Alice swept her fingers over the keys as they did their jobs, gathering everything she instructed for them to gather while she worked on the computer’s mainframe, logging into the internal database on the college servers and grinning. “Don’t touch this computer when I’m done.” She said warningly, plugging in the flash drive and going about executing a virus that she had fashioned herself.

 

One of the minions stopped, staring at the monitor overhead and looking down at Alice as she typed, the code spreading all over the monitor before a pink broken heart appeared on the screen. “What the fuck is that?” He asked.

 

Alice smiled over at him, “Heartbreaker virus, the entire system is going to fall.” She said simply, her eyes glinting mischievously before she took the flash drive back out and shrugged off her backpack. “Go, I have to change.”

 

The minion nodded, unplugging the stereo system and joining the rest of the men in the elevator.

 

Up above, there was a crowd. College students were watching on as Professor Chaos was settled up above the building and the police were down below, holding off from firing.

 

It was Wonder Storm who was at the scene, perplexed at the fact that Chaos was in his jurisdiction because he never targeted the school, there was no reason to. “Just what do you nngh—want?” He shouted, gesturing to the scene. “This is unlike you!”

 

Chaos chuckled, “Oh, is it unlike me? I’m only here to do a service to a dear friend.”

 

Wonder Storm didn’t believe it, “You, a supervillain, doing a service? That implies that you have friends.” He countered. “Just go away and stop terrorizing all these people!”

 

“I will go, Wonder Storm, when my friend is ready.” Chaos said simply, turning his attention to the crowd.

 

A girl shrieked from the crowd of onlookers, dropping her phone as the screen turned pink. “AAH! Don’t open your student emails!” She cried out.

 

Another student cried out, dropping his phone after his screen turned pink. Two more did the same, and soon everyone was crying out.

 

Professor Chaos seemed to look amused by that, “I see that my lady has already exacted out her revenge.”

 

Wonder Tweek let out a strangled cry, taking out his phone and suddenly screeching, his own screen was pink as well. “WHAT THE HELL?”

 

“I wouldn’t be using the campus wifi right now, people,” Alice said with a giggle, stepping out of the building with her mask on. “The college database has been infested with my latest Heartbreaker virus, and oh dear, it just _devastating_.”

 

Wonder Storm swallowed thickly, stepping away from Chaos, “ _Oh no_.”

 

Psychotique stood surrounded by six minions with rucksacks, smiling pleasantly, “I believe my education at this college has ended.” She said happily, whistling for Chaos.

 

Professor Chaos grinned, leaping down from the roof and moving to grab Psychotique’s hand, “We’re done here.” He said then, “Minions!” He commanded.

 

The six other minions from before rushed in, throwing smoke bombs all over to confuse the cops and students, and a giggle was heard before the smoke cleared and everyone was gone.

 

Wonder Storm pulled on his glove and chewed on the fingers, trying not to hyperventilate. “Oh shit, oh god, no, no, no, it’s too late!”

 

 

* * *

 

 

There were no blindfolds this time, there weren’t any secrets, Alice sat in the passenger’s seat as they drove to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. The minions had stored away everything she owned into the truck and unloaded the haul into a loft up above the warehouse. It was close to midnight when Alice bid farewell to the rest of the minions who helped her move in. She had to admit, she had the nicest view available, with the city scape right outside the windows and a small apartment building that was big enough for a family. Was Professor Chaos really telling her to move in to the Chaos lair? Was this really happening?

 

There wasn’t any way that she was going to find sleep tonight, and she couldn’t bring herself to unpack her boxes. Everything was overwhelming right now and the last thing she wanted to do was bother the remaining men that were hanging out down below. According to one of them, those who didn’t have a home stayed at the Chaos Lair so they had a roof over their head, which was another heartache that made her crush on Professor Chaos even more.

 

Alice finally pushed herself off of the bed, looking for her phone. She needed to call Butters, she had to hear his voice. He’d be so proud of her for taking a stand, but what would he say if he knew who helped her? Would he be offended or jealous or would he hate her for turning evil?

 

Her search stopped as someone knocked on the door. Alice visibly tensed up as she watched Professor Chaos cautiously enter the door. “I’m sorry I was gone, I had to make a quick trip.” He said apologetically. “I hope this room is okay for you, I want you to be good and comfortable.”

 

She relaxed somewhat, sitting on one of her boxes. “So…you’re really moving me in here?”

 

“I want you to stay here as long as you need to, Alice.” The man offered, holding a satchel in his hands. “I, uh, I’ve gotten you a few more things to help your stay.”

 

Alice watched him cautiously, tilting her head curiously. He continued to walk over to her, stopping in front of her to put the satchel in her lap. “The first gift is something I’ve made myself, and I think it would benefit Psychotique the most.”

 

She unwrapped the satchel and went quiet immediately, running her fingers through the vibrant blue fabric. The bodysuit was bright and blue, and the cape was holographic just like her mask. There were even boots and a belt. Her eyes widened as she looked over the entire outfit, glancing up at him every so often. “You made this?”

 

Professor Chaos flushed somewhat, “I spent a lot of time on it, the only thing I didn’t make were the boots. I felt that a true masked identity needed a true costume.” He smiled slightly, handing her another gift, a small box. “This is for both of you, Alice and Psychotique.”

 

Alice took the box gingerly and slowly opened it, finding two pairs of keys in the box. “…keys?”

 

“One key is to the Chaos Lair, so you can come and go any time you like. The second key is for your own workshop within the lair. I created the space all for you, so you can continue to work on your inventions or anything your heart desires.”

 

Alice’s hands were trembling as he spoke, the box falling out of her hands as overwhelming emotion overcame her. She launched herself at Professor Chaos and clung to him with tears in her eyes, hugging him tight.

 

He held her just as tight, smiling at her joy. He looked into her eyes as she gazed into his, leaning in to press her lips to his own before she tore herself away quickly. “Oh…” She brushed her tears away, sniffling. “I can’t… I really can’t… Chaos, you…you’re so wonderful… but, I have a loving boyfriend and I can’t do that to him.”

 

Chaos smiled at her, “I admire your strength, Alice…and to be honest, I have a girlfriend myself.” He said softly, looking away. “You two…you have a lot in common, really. She’s so smart, an’ selfless. She’s all kind’s of loyal, an’ she’s got a perverted sense of humor. An’ she’s very strong, she can take everything the world throws at her with a smile an’ not show a single bit of weakness even if she’s ready to give up.”

 

Alice watched him as he talked, following his voice and the words he was saying. Familiarity hit her in the gut as he described the girl he loved, and she reached out to touch his cheek. “Professor…can I…unmask you?” She asked breathlessly.

 

Professor Chaos nodded, taking her hands and settling them on his helmet. Alice grasped on and lifted it up over his head, her breath catching in her throat when the helmet fell away. Her legs instantly felt weak and she broke out into tears again.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” She whispered.

 

Butters took her hands and kissed them, holding her hands close to his chest. “I wanted ya to trust me, Al. I wanted to tell ya so many times, but it wasn’t the right time. I wanted ya to see me for real, Al, just like I see you.”

 

Alice closed the gap between them and kissed him again, a hard kiss with all of her feeling. She moved her hands to grasp at his sides. Butters pressed back just as desperately, breaking the kiss only to pepper small ones on the side of her face. He ushered her towards her bed, laying her back and continuing to kiss her in full honesty, taking his time and moving slow while Alice pulled him closer to her.

 

They made love that night, sleeping in each other's arms well into the morning, Professor Chaos and his lady, his love.


	7. Lady Chaos Rises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huzzah.

Two weeks had passed ever since that very night. Alice had gone off the grid completely, leaving nothing behind after escaping the college with everything. The Heartbreaker virus had done its job, wreaking havoc on the entire campus and everyone that went into its database or used the campus wifi. Because of Alice’s personal involvement with the Heartbreaker virus, she became wanted by the police for cyber crimes administered onto SPU and everyone that went there, but for the life of them, not a single police officer was able to track her whereabouts.

 

Sometimes being a super genius was better than she once thought it was.

 

Alice made herself right at home inside of the Chaos Lair, adorning the costume given to her by her boyfriend mostly at all times. She made great use of the workshop that Chaos had provided for her, working endless hours to procreate a new weapon. It was a great difference when she was able to work when she wanted, and she had a lot of help in the form of Chaos Minions who kept a good eye on her eating and sleeping habits. It was less restricting, and more rewarding. Laying low provided her with the ability to do some things she always wanted to do, borrowing the Chaos Minions for a fun project where she wired the entire town with spy cameras so she could keep tabs everywhere.

 

Being the girlfriend of Professor Chaos had its benefits, most of which was being able to see her boyfriend more often than not. She quickly learned that Professor Chaos was more than an identity, it was his life choice, and if anything was an identity then it was Leopold Stotch. Professor Chaos was his livelihood, his career, his true self.

 

The complexity of what names meant for her boyfriend made her reevaluate her own identity. Alice Horowitz wasn’t really a name she longed to have anymore, it had become tiresome and it came with a history of being used and degraded for her brilliance. She felt freer when she put on the mask, in the way that made her feel like she was finally in control of her own life and not living up to anyone else’s expectations. No one could touch her when she was Psychotique, no one could judge her, and no one could take advantage of her.

 

But Psychotique wasn’t a secret anymore, not really. Everyone and their mother knew who Psychotique really was, and she didn’t really care to be linked to her civilian identity no more than she had to.

 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Chaos ran his fingers through her hair as they gazed into the mirror, “I’m only sayin’, this was my life choice, it doesn’t have to be yours.”

 

Alice kept her hands on the sink, looking away from her reflection and down to the pair of scissors that sat before her. “I learned a lot about myself after moving in here, a lot about you and your reasons for doing what you did. You left Leopold Stotch behind because of your abusive childhood, and I understand that.”

 

Chaos leaned into her while his arms threaded around her waist, “It was one of my best decisions, and I don’t regret that at all. I only stayed for you.”

 

She ran her fingers along the metal, looking back up at her reflection, back at her loose hair. “I want to leave Alice Horowitz behind as a message, I no longer want to be used. I no longer want a name associated with a world that doesn’t want me. Is…is that enough of a reason or am I being selfish?”

 

Chaos hugged her comfortingly, “It’s a good reason, Alice, it’s always a good reason. You want to start fresh as your own person, do everything on your own terms. Don’t feel selfish for wanting something you deserve.” He removed his arms from her waist to gather up her hair, “Erasing the name Alice Horowitz from existence won’t erase _you_.”

 

Chaos moved her hair into her free hand, stepping away as Alice picked up the scissors. Erasing an identity was easier than a few key clicks, and she had already done it once before, with Leopold Stotch, who was now legally dead. This was now her chance to do the same, to leave her own life behind and start anew.

 

She steadied her hand as she made the first cut, finally letting out the breath she had been holding as she cut through the rest of her hair.

 

Slender hands joined hers and curled around the scissors she was holding, and Chaos guided them away from her. “Let me do the rest, my lady.” He said kindly, brushing some hair from her shoulder. “Have you thought of an alias for public appearances?”

 

“I’m tempted to just go by Alex, maybe to match my boyish appearance.” She giggled then, “No one will really know the difference, I have some glasses laying around that I can use.”

 

“Alex is androgynous enough, I’m still thinking about mine. I’m not really sure I’m ready to show myself again outside the mask, I don’t really care for it.” He frowned as he said it.

 

“You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.” She told him reassuringly, offering a smile. “I’m still trying to come up with a super villain name. Care to help me with one?”

 

Chaos’ eyes glittered with an idea upon her question. “I have just the name, my lady.”

 

 

* * *

 

It was five days later after the death of Alice Horowitz, that Professor Chaos got an important call.

 

It was a call her didn’t expect to get, and neither did his lady. They both stood there, exchanging curious glances as they stood in front of her larger monitor. Before them was none other than The Coon, smiling at them like he had a secret to tell.

 

“How did you get this number?” She was the first to ask the question, feeling defensive.

 

“I have tricks, just like you do.” Coon explained simply, “Professor, congratulations on your newest addition, do I get an invite to the wedding?”

 

Chaos narrowed his eyes, “Cut the shit and explain yourself, Coon.”

 

A grin formed on Coon’s face, and he chuckled. “Testy, I’m only here for _her_.” He gestured towards the girl, “I was contacted by an informant, someone who wished to discover a secret. According to my informant, the young Alice Horowitz was doing just fine and dandy until someone had slipped it to the dean about her nightly romps along the battlefield.”

 

Chaos’ eyes widened slightly, turning to his lady. She looked stricken, looking back at Chaos before glaring at Coon. “Why did they contact _you_?”

 

Coon grinned at her question, “Because that informant is a friend of yours, and he paid me to find out who the culprit was. I’d regale you on _why_ he contacted me, but I’m not here for that.” He wiggled his fingers teasingly, “You _do_ remember the Freedom Pals, do you?”

 

She thought hard about it, folding her arms. “You used to work with them…hold on…one of _them_ outed me?” Her voice raised as she said it, turning towards her boyfriend and taking his arm, “I had a feeling!”

 

“Let’s hear what he has to say first,” Chaos said calmingly, “I’m curious as well.”

 

Coon chuckled again. “Yes, I worked with them enough to know who they were behind the mask. Now, let’s play a guessing game. List three of your former friends and I’ll link them to your heroes. You only get three choices.”

 

She broke her gaze away from the screen, letting go of Chaos to pace the workshop. “Three of my former friends…” She went to the only three that mattered, looking back to the monitor, “Stan Marsh, Wendy Testaburger, and Kyle Broflovski.”

 

The guesses had Coon applauding on her brains, “You _are_ a smart one! Good, very good.”

 

“Get with it, Coon!” Chaos finally snapped, “We don’t have all day!”

 

The other boy didn’t seem to be affected by the order, nodding anyway and cracking his knuckles. “Your three friends are the three most popular superheroes, Toolshed being Stan Marsh, Call Girl being Wendy Testaburger, and Human Kite being your favorite Jew, Kyle Broflovski. Now, out of all three of them, guess which one outed you.”

 

Chaos glared at Coon scathingly, but his girlfriend was back to pacing the room.

 

“If you need any help, I have a recording that may jog your memory, which my informant had given me.” He held up a voice recorder and waved it at them teasingly, pressing the play button.

 

_“Yes my name is—no, wait, my name’s not important. I’m an anonymous caller and a student at SPU. I have it on good authority that Alice Horowitz has been misusing the college’s property by taking her inventions out into town so she can pretend to be a superhero. I understand there are rules and regulations concerning anything created with your grant money. I think if you check the security footage, you’ll be able to catch her. That’s all I have to tell you, thank you for your time.” CLICK._

 

“I know that voice…” Chaos stepped back, turning to his lady and watching the mix of emotions that was running through her face, shock, anger, hurt, pain, and finally, seething anger.

 

“Kyle Broflovski…” She breathed, “He always had something to say about my work.”

 

Chaos took her hands, “Alice Horowitz is dead, my lady, that past is behind us.” He looked into her eyes with a smile, “If he didn’t do that, then you wouldn’t be here.”

 

She gazed into his eyes in return, urging herself to smile, “He needs to learn a lesson.” She whispered, “and that lesson is not to cross me.” Her voice became harder then, and finally she tore her eyes away from her boyfriend and onto Coon. “What do you want for this information?”

 

Coon was grinning at the show, fully amused and intrigued at what just played out. “I require only one thing, Lady Chaos,”

 

“I want a front seat to the show you’re about to give.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was a rare collaboration, the joining together of the Coon and Professor Chaos. It was also the introduction of Lady Chaos, everything starting off with a bang as the girl proceeded to welcome herself into the fold, her first act of villainy being to throw the entire town of South Park into pure darkness.

 

The electricity was down everywhere, total blackness overtaking the entire town save for one specific area. City Hall.

 

In fact, not only was the electricity on in City Hall, but there were floodlights on the very building, and sitting on the ledge of the second floor window was Lady Chaos, waiting patiently while the Chaos minions down below were taking up the inner rooms.

 

Coon was sitting in the mayor’s seat on the second floor, taking in the importance of sitting in the mayor’s seat while Professor Chaos gazed out the open window at his Lady, who sat calmly on the other end. “Is the building ready yet?” He asked her.

 

“The last of the explosives are being put in place.” Lady replied to him happily, adjusting her headset. “The Freedom Pals should be here soon.”

 

She was right, as the first to the scene was Mysterion. He stood at the entrance to the building, gazing up at the woman clad in blue and black. His heart raced at the realization of just who that woman was, breathing out a sigh of relief that no, she wasn’t dead like the newspapers said. She was there, alive, and he still had a chance.

 

Before he could call out to her, the rest of his friends arrived. Human Kite, Toolshed, Call Girl, Super Guy and Wonder Storm.

 

“Oh geeze—“ Wonder Storm realized what Mysterion just did, crying out like he had just seen a ghost and clinging to Super Guy’s arm for a split second. “It’s her!” He breathed, awestruck.

 

Lady Chaos crossed her legs, watching them all calmly as they too came to the same realization. Her eyes lingered on Human Kite, and she waved teasingly.

 

“Psychotique!” Toolshed stepped further into the light, “You fake your death for this? What the fuck!”

 

“This is going too far, Alice!” Call Girl said harshly, “You can’t just freak everyone out like that! Do you realize how many people were actually hurt by this?” She followed Toolshed into the light, “You can’t just fake your death and expect no one to care! We went to your funeral!” She cried out.

 

Professor Chaos watched on, putting his hand on his Lady’s shoulder. She was trembling.

 

“This was some kind of stunt to get our attention, wasn’t it?” Human Kite then stepped into the light, followed by Super Guy and Wonder Storm. “I can’t fucking believe you would do this! I shouldn’t put it past you, either. This is the biggest douche move, Alice!”

 

Lady Chaos’ eyes flickered over to Mysterion’s face, waiting for him to speak. He looked dumbstruck, passing his friends and stepping further into the light.

 

“I understand why, Alice. Don’t listen to them. I understand why you did it, I understood everything. I’m sorry, Alice, I should have reached out to you in the first place!” Mysterion said honestly, “Everything you did was for the greater good but you have to understand that the rest of the world isn’t going to use you like everyone else did! There’s still time to change, Alice. There’s still a chance to start all over. This time I’ll stand with you, all you have to do is believe. You’re still good, Alice. I know you are!”

 

Lady Chaos raised her wrist and pushed back her glove, tapping on the wristwatch and smiling coldly as metal polls extended from the outer edge of the floodlights boundaries, electrifying and sparking to life and creating an electromagnetic barrier that trapped the heroes in their place.

 

“FUCK!” Wonder Storm cried out, holding onto Super Guy, “It-itwas a trap guys!”

 

“Shh.” Super Guy held onto him, “She’s not going to do anything to us.” He said reassuringly.

 

Wonder Storm made an unsure noise, watching as Lady Chaos stood up from her perch. Two more lights from behind them focused on her, controlled by the Chaos Minions. In her hand was a gun-like weapon that was as large as her thigh.

 

“Super Guy is right.” She said lowly, “I’m not here to harm all of you.” Her voice sounded devoid of emotion. “I’m only here to harm one of you.” She lifted the gun to settle it on her shoulder, activating the scope. A red beam of light targeted the ground, moving until it was directly on Human Kite.

 

Toolshed jumped back, though he fell onto the barrier and cried out, pointing at Human Kite in a sheer panic, “Dude, she’s aiming it at you.” He shouted.

 

Call Girl whipped around, her eyes widening, “Kite!”

 

Mysterion clenched his teeth, “Alice! You can’t!”

 

“I know it was you, Kyle.” Lady Chaos spoke above Mysterion, making them all go still in shock. Human Kite’s eyes widened horrifyingly, staring directly at the woman.

 

“Y-you gotta understand—I didn’t do it to hurt you!” Kyle’s voice broke, and he tried to move away, the red beam followed him, aiming directly at his chest. “I was trying to stop you! It was for your own good!” He shouted.

 

Professor Chaos perched himself on the edge, keeping quiet. Between them, Coon was shoveling popcorn into his mouth, watching the show.

 

“You know what my inventions mean to me, and you almost took them from me, Kyle.” Lady Chaos’ voice rose, growing hard. “I want everyone to witness me thanking you for your kindness, because you’ve been such a good friend to me.” She spat it out acidly. “This weapon is my newest blast gun, and it fires a lethal dose of energy into its target, depending on the range, the shot can go right through you.” She fixed a gracious smile after that, “You’ll be my first target, Kyle.”

 

Kyle shook his head, backing up as far as he could go. “No, no, no, no. You can’t kill me Alice, you’re not that kind of person! What about your conscience? You can’t kill me, Alice!”

 

“Alice Horowitz is dead!” She snapped, glaring at him, “I go by Lady Chaos now, and I hope your friends remember it!”

 

She pulled the trigger, and time stood still. Everyone screamed, but it wasn’t Kyle that took the blast. Mysterion had leapt into the path of the energy blast, the shot ripping into his gut and throwing him into Kyle.

 

Lady Chaos reeled back from the kickback of the gun but Professor Chaos caught her before she could fall.

 

“MYSTERION!” Toolshed’s voice shrieked, instantly doubling over to vomit at the sight of the bloodied and gruesome body.

 

“OH GOD, OH GOD,” Kyle began to hyperventilate, trying to push himself away, “He saved me, dude—he—“

 

Lady Chaos stared directly at Mysterion’s corpse, almost dropping her gun before Professor Chaos caught it for her and dropped it back through the window. He quickly took her into his arms, whispering calming words into her ear as she tried to deal with the shock.

 

“This turned out better than I expected.” Coon said from the window, chuckling in amusement.

 

Kyle couldn’t hear the cries, staring up at Lady Chaos and searching her eyes for any hint of remorse over what she just did, only to find nothing at all.

 

He was wrong. Alice Horowitz was dead, and her conscience had died along with it.

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **_LADY CHAOS RISES, New Villian Presents Herself as Professor Chaos’ New Lover and Cohort in Crime_ **
> 
>  
> 
> _It has been a month of twists and turns, readers, and the newest turn to ever take place onto the city of South Park is the introduction of the newest supervillain that stands along the likes of Professor Chaos and the Coon. Her name is Lady Chaos, once known as vigilante Psychotique, who once made citizens hopeful of a wondrous new super heroine, Lady Chaos is a bright mind that can hack her way into our fears like that day she hacked her way into the FBI database. I’m smitten, readers._
> 
>  
> 
> _Rumor is that Lady Chaos and Professor Chaos are long-time partners in crime, explaining the identical title, which I think is too on the nose for this editor. I preferred Psychotique, but naming masked identities isn’t in my job description. It’s actually kinda heartening to know that even super villains can find love, and gives me some hope on finding Ms. Right (Lady Chaos, call me). According to an anonymous source, their relationship is “based on trust and understanding” which makes them the biggest celebrity power couple since Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. But here at SPE, our money’s on the Chaos couple lasting a lot longer than Kimye._
> 
>  
> 
> _We have some quotes from readers like you, as well as some superhero quotes about our newest femme fatale._
> 
>  
> 
> _Mr. Slave of South Park writes, “This new queen’s gonna slay. Yas queen yas! Rock those thigh-highs your legs are gorgeous!”_
> 
>  
> 
> _An anonymous reader tells us “I tell my kids to put the phones down during suppertime because if they don’t Lady Chaos is going to hack all of their social media and post it all over school. Is that bad of me? I don’t think it is, my kids are terrified of her wrath!”_
> 
>  
> 
> _Our very own Mysterion comes to us with a heartfelt plea of his own, he says “Lady Chaos may be evil, she may be a criminal, but she was once a wonderful woman that was trying to make the world be a better place. I knew Lady Chaos personally, and I believe that she is still that good person, but it’s the likes of Professor Chaos and other people that had clouded her mind and warped her into what you know today. I want Lady Chaos to know that I’m never going to give up on her, and that you’re still that optimistic girl with a kind heart. I’m not going to stop until you’re back on the side of good, even if I have to die a hundred times to get you there.”_
> 
>  
> 
> _That quote’s a tear jerker if I ever saw one, let’s hope Mysterion can make a difference._
> 
>  
> 
> _This has been your faithful editor, C-Dog Donovan, with your weekly South Park Entertainment buzz!_

 

-END


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